The Tapped Cask

{"id":556375769258,"title":"Jura","created_at":"2021-07-27T11:39:42+01:00","body_html":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eThe Inner Hebridean island of Jura is the very definition of remote - George Orwell, Jura’s most famous resident (likely its \u003ci\u003eonly\u003c\/i\u003e famous resident) lived there for some time and described the island as “extremely un-get-at-able.” Even today you must travel via Islay to get there. Of course unless you’re visiting the distillery you might think there’s very little reason to ‘get-at’ jura at all - despite being only a little smaller than Islay, Jura has only one road, one pub, one shop, and less than 200 permanent residents. But it is an absolute beauty and its remoteness only adds to its intruige.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/fw_sky_2400x1600_c6dd0e4f-7446-4b88-9d18-64a43c97bf24_1024x1024.jpg?v=1627478729\" alt=\"\" style=\"float: none;\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eThe enormous ‘paps’ of Jura are the first thing you see, an immediate contrast to Islay’s flat and feathered terrain. What might not be so obvious however, are the bogs. Peat bogs. Lots of peat bogs. Which makes it all the more strange that in the past no peated whisky was made on Jura. Actually, that’s not technically true, travel back to 1810 where we find the origins of the distillery and the whisky produced there would certainly have been smoky, as was the general trend at that time. The main town of Craighouse - and one time name of the Jura distillery - was chosen to be the setting for the premises. For a good thirty years before then it had been a smugglers operation, set in the seclusion of a small cave the walls of which had been tapped to allow the flow of a small stream through its middle.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eAfter becoming a legitimate distillery it ran for about a century before finally grinding to a halt in 1910. When Alfred Barnard visited in 1885 he found the equipment to be “of the most modern description”, but it would appear that things ran in to disrepair over the years (not for the last time) and all the equipment was removed upon its closure.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/jura_islandstaff_darken_home_1024x1024.jpg?v=1627478772\" alt=\"\" style=\"float: none;\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eIn the 1960’s Jura was brought back from the dead, however.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eTwo local land owners, Robin Fletcher and Tony Riley-Smith refurbished the distillery to an exceptional standard for the time, and began producing light and fruity malt whisky, as was in great demand by the blenders during that period.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eThis light approach continued with the current owners, Whyte \u0026amp; Mackay, up until quite recently. The flavour of young Jura being that of mushy yellow fruit, warm cereal and pleasant green things. Now though we’re beginning to see more interesting releases as this distillery finally gets the chance to stretch its legs, some of them peated, some with more sherry or wine cask influences, very good older expressions too. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/Large-_MG_0884Graded_1024x1024.jpg?v=1627904949\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eIn August 2021 we featured Jura 18 Year Old, which \u003c\/span\u003esits at the top of the Jura 'Signature' range. Aged for 18 years in bourbon casks before a finish in red Bordeaux casks, this carefully balances the distillery's soft smoke with weighty flavours from the barrel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eWe detect plenty of coffee and chocolate characteristics in this dram, with some soft smoked cereal flavours as well and of course a little hint of that fruity red wine cask. So think smoky black forrest gateau and you're not far off.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThis plays in nicely to Jura's own suggested serve, which is for a dram of Jura 18 alongside some frozen raspberry sorbet or frozen yoghurt. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/Large-Jura_18_Ritual_3_1024x1024.jpg?v=1627904885\" alt=\"\" style=\"float: none;\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eWhat a treat.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eIn August 2022 we're featuring Jura Seven Wood. This whisky starts life in ex-bourbon casks,before a portion of the whisky is split between six different virgin oak casks sourced from across various wine regions of France. The result is a whisky with tonnes of stone fruit character (peach, nectarine) that is quite uncommon in scotch. It's a non-age statement whisky but don't let that put you off. This whisky is the product of some careful cask sourcing and very smart blending.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e \u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/Web_image_master_file_dd26ab14-e73e-4a62-a28a-ad3f33b8659e_1024x1024.jpg?v=1659986628\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":76389875882,"author":"Tristan Stephenson","user_id":71976517802,"published_at":"2021-08-08T14:30:02+01:00","updated_at":"2022-08-08T20:24:02+01:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"jura","tags":"Jura, Scotland, tag:distillery, tag:history","image":{"created_at":"2021-07-28T14:27:41+01:00","alt":"","width":2400,"height":1600,"src":"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/articles\/fw_hotel_2400x1600_38c6654d-edf6-410b-af9a-56936dc8eb0b.jpg?v=1627478862"}}

{"id":556193906858,"title":"Mackmyra","created_at":"2021-06-30T13:58:49+01:00","body_html":"\u003cp\u003eMackmyra is a Swedish malt whisky distillery named after the village and manor of Mackmyra, where the first distillery was established in 1999, in the residential district of Valbo, south-west of Gävle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter enjoying some early success in the growing European whisky market, the Mackmyra 'Gravity Distillery' was built in 2011, consisting of a 37-meter high chassis that contains all the usual malt distillery equipment, only arranged vertically. This means that the force of gravity moves the relevant ingredients down through the system, wherein barley is loaded in at the top and casks are filled at the bottom. The distillery is said to use around 45% less energy than a similar sized operation in Scotland, so you really have to wonder why all new distilleries aren't built this way - accepting that it cost SEK 50 million (£4.2 million) to build!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text\/html;charset=UTF-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/ucarecdn.com\/bff62dd4-c952-448a-83be-94d4871525d5\/-\/format\/auto\/-\/preview\/800x800\/-\/quality\/lighter\/\" alt=\"\" class=\"gf_image\" data-gemlang=\"en\" data-width=\"auto\" data-height=\"auto\" title=\"\" natural-width=\"800\" natural-height=\"533\" width=\"578\" height=\"385\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe environmentally conscious approach to whisky making continues in the ingredients, which - besides the yeast - are all sourced within a 75-mile radius from Mackmyra. The peat is from a local bog near Österfärnebo, and the distillery uses barley from Dalarna and Strömsta Manor in Enköping. They have also been known to use juniper wood and bog moss for smoking whiskies, and Swedish oak features in a number of the their products, including Fjällmark.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text\/html;charset=UTF-8\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/ucarecdn.com\/4cbe0839-28b3-4d29-85ce-58efe9255ffe\/-\/format\/auto\/-\/preview\/3000x3000\/-\/quality\/lighter\/\" alt=\"\" style=\"float: none;\" width=\"558\" height=\"379\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpeaking of oak, maturation takes place a short distance from the distillery, in one of the most unique warehouses in the world - the old Bodås Mine, 50 metres underground.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eMoment Fjällmark is a unique single malt whisky aged in casks that previously held Swedish cloudberry wine, Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez sherry. Here's what Mackmyra have to say about it:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"The combined result is a whisky with a lot of oak and fruitiness together with notes of cloudberry, sweet grapes, vanilla, caramel fudge and white chocolate. \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe youngest casks used for Fjällmark has been aged for 8 years, while the oldest casks was aged for 13 years.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/cloudberries_600x600.jpg?v=1625057913\" width=\"600x600\" height=\"600x600\" style=\"margin-top: 20px; float: none;\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eWe're extremely excited to be featuring Mackmyra as a brand, but particularly this whisky, which really captures a certain Swedish quality to it. Only 4,400 bottles are in existence however, and we have to apologise for buying up a sizeable chunk of them!\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":76389875882,"author":"Tristan Stephenson","user_id":71976517802,"published_at":"2021-07-08T22:00:42+01:00","updated_at":"2021-07-08T22:01:15+01:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"mackmyra-moment-fjallmark","tags":"maturation, peat, tag:distillery, tag:maturation","image":{"created_at":"2021-06-30T13:58:49+01:00","alt":"","width":1200,"height":800,"src":"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/articles\/2520564_mackmyra_distillery_452.jpg?v=1625057929"}}

{"id":556154814634,"title":"Kilchoman","created_at":"2021-06-23T21:24:44+01:00","body_html":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eFor the time being, Kilchoman is the youngest distillery on Islay—by a full 124 years in fact. The first spirit runs came through in 2005, so Kilchoman is now old enough to be producing whiskies of 15 years maturity, but being the youngest child in the Islay family we find it hard to imagine Kilchoman ever being known for  anything other than the clean, zesty, mineral whiskies that it has become famous for over the past ten years.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKilchoman Distillery is on the northwest of the island, close to one of Islay's most spectacular beaches at Machir Bay. \u003c\/span\u003eMachir bay is a popular retreat for locals in the summer months, but on our visit there the wind was extreme and the risk of hyperthermia real! Just up the road from Machir Bay is Rockside Farm, which is where the founder of Kilchoman,\u003cspan\u003e Anthony Wills, chose to build his distillery.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/6c19bedad0128329702ac9a6c730c02c_480x480.jpg?v=1624479826\" alt=\"Kilchoman stills\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIt's no surprise then, that the entire operation feels very 'agricultural' and is therefore probably more reminiscent of the distilleries of the past which often served as ancillaries to farm operations. Some of the \u003ci\u003epublican\u003c\/i\u003e barley used to make Kilchoman is grown on the farm then sent to their own floor maltings. The barley is peated to around 25 ppm and used in their 100% Islay malt, a unique product since every part of the production takes place at the Kilchoman farm, from growing the barley, to malting, ageing and bottling.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0442\/9293\/1743\/products\/9754_kilchoman_machir_bay_22600293-72e6-4d7a-bf94-0f152bf972e9.jpg?v=1597419767\" width=\"412\" height=\"438\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eLooking to Machir Bay, which is Kilchoman’s core expression, this dram is built from the same malt specifications as Ardbeg and bought in from Port Ellen Maltings on Islay. It’s matured in a combination of bourbon and sherry casks, there’s no age statement but we're lead to believe that the whisky in Machir Bay bottles is three to five years old.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eIf you're a long time member of Whisky Me you may recall that we sent Kilchoman Sanaig out as our May 2018 drop (can you believe that was over three years ago!). We made a video at the Kilchoman distillery, which you can watch below:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qeALO5bb4tI\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":76389875882,"author":"Tristan Stephenson","user_id":71976517802,"published_at":"2021-07-05T09:00:00+01:00","updated_at":"2021-07-08T21:59:45+01:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"kilchoman-machir-bay","tags":"islay, kilchoman, machir bay, tag:distillery, tag:production","image":{"created_at":"2021-06-23T21:24:44+01:00","alt":"","width":1024,"height":684,"src":"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/articles\/Kilchoman-June-HR-14-1024x684.jpg?v=1624479884"}}

{"id":555972788394,"title":"Sailor's Home","created_at":"2021-05-26T21:01:12+01:00","body_html":"\u003cp\u003eSailor's Home is a new Irish whiskey brand, launched at the tail end of 2020. It's named for the \u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/wiki.csisdmz.ul.ie\/wiki\/Edward_Nagle_-_Sailors%27_Home\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003eSailor's Home in Limerick\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e, which was built in 1856 to provide welcome to seafarers and explorers coming through the port. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSailor's Home don't have their own distillery. Instead, they buy up barrels from other Irish distilleries, then blend the whiskey to their desired flavour profile. They source a range of whiskey styles, including malt, grain and Irish pot still whiskies, matured in a variety of different casks from virgin oak and ex-bourbon to ex-rum and ex-sherry barrels.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou wouldn't want to entrust a complex blending process to an amateur and it's lucky that master blender Jack O'Se is no amateur. A legend in Irish whiskey circles, he has been making whiskey since 1979 and now heads up the whiskey blending at Sailor's Home.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/meet-jack-ose-02_600x600.jpg?v=1622059181\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe three whiskies in the current range are quite different from one another: The Journey is the most prototypically Irish in style, being light and accessible. Meanwhile The Horizon is matured in ex-Barbados rum casks and could easily be confused with a rum (in a good way).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/Sailors-Home-Irish-Whiskey-Range-by-Dr-Jack-O-Se_1024x1024_8462199a-e12f-4939-af7d-2a49e2957b83_600x600.jpg?v=1622059210\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThen there's \u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/whisky-me.com\/products\/sailors-home-the-haven\"\u003eThe Haven\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e - our favourite. It starts life in ex-bourbon casks and is finished in oloroso sherry casks, which lends weight, fruitiness and a satisfying chewy quality. The base of this spirit is Irish pot still whisky, which is made from a mash of malted and un-malted barley and oats (which add a creaminess to the texture). The Haven is a brave departure from the flavours you might normally associate with Irish whiskey and that's why we like it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/products\/shopimage_600x600.jpg?v=1621268053\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTruth be told, one of the reasons we like it so much is that it reminds us a bit of scotch.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReally good scotch.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReally good scotch that would set you back more than £50 a bottle - and that's why \u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/whisky-me.com\/products\/sailors-home-the-haven\"\u003eThe Haven, at £42.95\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e is a bit of a steal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe hope you like it too.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUse the discount code WHISKYMECLUB10 for 10% off bottle orders.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":76389875882,"author":"Tristan Stephenson","user_id":71976517802,"published_at":"2021-06-07T11:12:07+01:00","updated_at":"2021-06-07T12:10:54+01:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"sailors-home","tags":"sailors home, tag:distillery, tag:maturation, tag:production","image":{"created_at":"2021-05-26T21:01:12+01:00","alt":"","width":992,"height":730,"src":"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/articles\/SAILORS_HOME_Detail_004.png?v=1622059273"}}

{"id":555970298026,"title":"Mannochmore","created_at":"2021-05-26T11:57:54+01:00","body_html":"\u003cp\u003eMannochmore is one distillery from the glut of 20-or-so new whisky factories that emerged in the 60's and early 70's. Demand for scotch whisky was high in during this era and the whisky industry was confident the trend would continue in to the 80's. All of the distilleries built at this time have a few of things in common: \u003cem\u003enone\u003c\/em\u003e of them are pretty to look at, none of them make peated whisky, and nearly all of them are high capacity workhorses. Crucially though, some of them are hidden gems in respect of their flavour and general availability.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e Mannochmore was built on the same site as the 19th century Glenlossie Distillery, in Thornshill, a few miles south of Elgin, in Speyside.  The opportunity wasn't there however, as demand for whisky took a downturn, and just 14 years after opening Mannochmore was mothballed (closed but not demolished) in 1985. A further 20 distilleries closed down for good. Mannochmore managed to kick back in to action again in 1989 however and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/whisky-me.com\/products\/mannochmore-12-year-old\"\u003eMannochmore 12 Year Old Flora \u0026amp; Fauna\u003c\/a\u003e was released in 1992. We \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/whisky-me.com\/products\/inchgower-14-year-old\"\u003ehave featured some of the Flora \u0026amp; Fauna range on Whisky Me in the past\u003c\/a\u003e (and will likely do more in the future) these being a collection of single malt bottlings taken from distilleries that do not have an official brand or bottling of their own. That is to say, distilleries whose whisky is destined almost entirely for blends.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/csm_Still_house_d28d20a8_e70e1290adb1874d6f3441a0153509dd_24bc7e75ee_600x600.jpg?v=1622027175\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe number of stills at Mannochmore increased from six to eight in 2013 and total production capacity now sits at around 4.5 million litres per annum, placing Mannochmore firmly in the light-heavyweight category of malt distillery punching power.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe vast majority of the spirit made here goes in to blends, of which Mannochmore has been closely associated with the Haig and Dimple brands. It's quite likely that brands like J\u0026amp;B, Buchanan's and Johnnie Walker also get a share of Mannochmore juice too, since Diageo own both the distillery and the blends.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/lcdob.10yov1_600x600.jpg?v=1622027565\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMannochmore malt notably appeared in the now retired \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.thewhiskyexchange.com\/p\/3020\/loch-dhu-10-year-old\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003eLoch Dhu (\"Black Lake\") brand\u003c\/a\u003e, which became infamous for its strikingly dark colour. The spirit in Loch Dhu was distilled at Mannochmore in 1996 and matured for ten years in double charred casks. The deep char was the rationale for the dark colour, but most people agreed that a liberal dose of caramel colouring played a part too. Either way, Loch Dhu bottles are now collectible and fetch over £300 at auction, in spite of it never being a particularly tasty dram.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text\/html;charset=UTF-8\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/VLpdU1f_1024x1024.jpg?v=1622027146\" alt=\"\" style=\"float: none;\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMannochmore spirit is quite light, oily, mineral and often floral in its character. It's a great aperitif style whisky, and performs brilliantly when mixed with soda or as a daily sipping dram.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/whisky-me.com\/products\/mannochmore-12-year-old\"\u003e12 Year Old Flora \u0026amp; Fauna\u003c\/a\u003e bottling is one of the only bottles of whisky with Mannochmore on the label that you're ever likely to see and the only current official bottling since the 2016 special release run of Mannochmore 25 Year Old (of which \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.thebottleclub.com\/products\/mannochmore-25-year-old-1990-whiskey-special-release-2016-70-cl\"\u003ethere are still a few bottles floating around\u003c\/a\u003e). Even independent bottlers seem to struggle to get hold of Mannochmore spirit, so if you've found your perfect dram in the 12 Year Old you'll have a hunt on your hands trying to find other expressions from this distillery. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo why not \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/whisky-me.com\/products\/mannochmore-12-year-old\"\u003ebuy a bottle of the 12 Year Old\u003c\/a\u003e be content with that?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUse WHISKYMECLUB10 at checkout for 10% off.\u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":76389875882,"author":"Tristan Stephenson","user_id":71976517802,"published_at":"2021-06-04T12:00:03+01:00","updated_at":"2021-06-04T12:00:04+01:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"mannochmore","tags":"tag:distillery, tag:history, tag:production","image":{"created_at":"2021-05-26T11:57:54+01:00","alt":"","width":750,"height":500,"src":"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/articles\/mannochmore.jpg?v=1622026675"}}

{"id":493205520554,"title":"Scotch Whisky Labelling: Deciphering the jargon and understanding how it impacts flavour","created_at":"2021-02-23T14:31:31+00:00","body_html":"\u003ch2 class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eScotch Whisky (Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eThe term \u003ci\u003eScotch Whisky\u003c\/i\u003e by itself is not much use in deciphering what is in a bottle, since any given product must reside in one of the sub-categories listed below. But broadly speaking, Scotch whisky must abide by the following rules: It must be made in Scotland from water, cereal and yeast only, whereby fermentable sugars are obtained through the actions of natural malt enzymes. Mashing, fermentation and distillation must take place in the distillery and it must be distilled to less than 94.8% alcohol by volume. It must then be aged in oak casks no bigger than 700 litres, for a minimum of three years. Before the three years are up it is known simply as ‘British New Make Spirit’. Plain caramel colouring may be added.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eScotch Single Malt Whisky\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eSingle Malt must be made from 100% malted barley but the barley can be grown and malted anywhere in the world.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eSingle Malt whisky must be distilled a minimum of two times in a copper pot-still. The product can be distilled three times (like Auchentoshan) or more, but two is the industry norm. As with all Scotch whisky the maximum permitted distillate strength is 94.8% ABV, but most Single Malt whiskies run off at 65-75% ABV.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eMaturation must take place in Scotland, but not necessarily on the site of the distillery. Most bottlings are much older than the required three years, but as you may have seen with some of the newer distilleries we have featured, it is entirely possible to find young whiskies that can compete with twelve year old drams. During the period in which the whisky is kept in barrels it is stored in a government bonded warehouse.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/Whisky_Bottle_4_600x600.jpg?v=1616585942\" alt=\"Nc'Nean\" style=\"float: none;\" width=\"600x600\" height=\"600x600\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eAs with all types of Scotch the age statement on the bottle must refer to the youngest whisky in the bottle. For some single cask bottlings the producer may choose to provide a \"distilled on\" and \"bottled on\" date, which can be used to calculate the age of the whisky as well as tell us when it was made and bottled.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eScotch Single Malt Whisky must be bottled in Scotland, and that goes for small bottles and Whisky Me pouches, too.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eScotch Blended Malt Whisky\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eAs the name suggests, this type of whisky is a blend of Malt Whiskies from two or more distilleries (a blend of malts from the same distillery is still a single malt). In the past Blended Malt has gone by the title \"Vatted Malt\" and \"Pure Malt\", but 2009 legislation put a stop to that. These whiskies benefit from the intensity of a Single Malt and the balance that comes with blending whiskies to a specific style.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eAs is the norm, the age statement on a Blended Malt refers to the youngest whisky. Johnnie Walker Green Label is a great example of a smoky Blended Malt (partly down to the inclusion of both Talisker and Caol Isla in the blend) so too is the Timorous Beastie, which we featured back in 2020.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/DSC02715_600x600.jpg?v=1616585560\" alt=\"Timorous Beastie\" style=\"float: none;\" width=\"600x600\" height=\"600x600\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eSingle Grain Scotch Whisky\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eLike Single Malt, Single Grain must be the product of one single distillery, but it can be made from any combination of malted barley and other un-malted cereals (but not other malted cereals). It is typically produced in a column still, which produces a much lighter spirit than a pot still. Single Grain Whisky is seldom bottled for consumption on its own, though there are an increasing number of examples appearing on the market, such as Haig Club. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eBlended Scotch Whisky\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eDespite the growing demand for Single Malt in the past 20 years, blended Scotch makes up over 90% of the global Scotch whisky sales today. It must be made from at least one Single Malt and one Single Grain Whisky. As far as I am aware there are no blends that contain more than one Single Grain Whisky, but it is not uncommon for a blend to contain malts from over thirty different distilleries.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eBlends tend to be lighter than Malts and Blended Malts (on account of the lighter Grain Whisky component) which makes them great - and often better - candidates for mixing in to highballs and cocktails. \u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":76389875882,"author":"Tristan Stephenson","user_id":71976517802,"published_at":"2021-05-24T14:00:00+01:00","updated_at":"2021-05-24T14:00:00+01:00","summary_html":"Get to grips with Scotch Whisky classification, what it means in terms of production and flavour.","template_suffix":"","handle":"10-must-follow-instagram-accounts-for-single-malt-distillers-in-scotland","tags":"tag:flavour, tag:maturation, tag:production, type:Flavour","image":{"created_at":"2021-03-24T11:38:05+00:00","alt":"","width":1280,"height":854,"src":"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/articles\/18.Aerolite.jpg?v=1616585885"}}

{"id":555610374314,"title":"The Science Behind Peat","created_at":"2021-03-24T13:33:14+00:00","body_html":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eWe're all drinking \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/whisky-me.com\/products\/oban\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Oban 14\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003eOban 14\u003c\/a\u003e this month, which is an undeniably peaty dram, so we thought it might be worth taking the time to explore exactly how peat works in scotch whisky.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe peatiness of a whisky is measured in phenolic parts per million (pppm). By definition this means that a whisky of 1 pppm would contain 1 phenolic molecule for every 999,999 other molecules. A whisky with 1 pppm probably wouldn't come across very smoky to the average taster, however 20 pppm is more than sufficient to impart some serious smoke character. At the higher end of the spectrum, products like Octomore, produced by Bruichladdich, can come in at over 200 pppm! - it’s enough to make you cough just thinking about it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003ePeat is possibly the only component of malt whisky production that is genuinely governed by terroir, but we are well aware that that statement may upset one or two people. The composition of peat smoke (aptly named ‘reek’) is made up various volatile compounds that give the familiar burnt mustiness of peat smoke. These compounds consist of number of phenols (coal smoke, pig odor), two furan aldehydes (sawdust and cereal) and series of alkanes (paraffin and other flammable gas), and aromatic hydrocarbons (diesel). Depending on the location, the surrounding plant matter, and the depth in the ground that the peat is cut, the compounds will differ. Ardmore in Speyside uses a carbon-rich peat that gives its whisky a light ‘sooty’ quality that’s in contrast to the more maritime and medicinal drams that you might find on Islay or Skye.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003ePeat smoke is imparted in to the barley during the malting process, at the stage where the germinated barley is being dried. The level of peatiness in the final product is nearly impossible to control during kiln drying, there are simply too many intangibles when trying to control smoke. These range from the exact moisture of the barley, to the make up of the peat itself, and how well the peat fire has been tended. A gauge can be taken by looking at the quality and density of the smoke, but that’s about it. When tending a kiln you will be looking for rich dark smoke rather than pale white smoke, a sign that it contains plenty of phenols. Fire is not your friend as many of the more delicate aromatics can be lost if the peat gets too hot. In a good kiln you should be able to touch the peat whilst its smoking without burning your hands.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eAnd then there’s the break point, which occurs about halfway through kilning (at roughly 18 hours) and marks the stage where the barley will accept no more phenolic compounds due to its ever decreasing moisture content. Pre-break there is plenty of moist air and the damp husk of the barley absorbs phenols like a sponge, but as the grain dries out so too does its capacity for trapping the peat characteristics. After the break point the air becomes drier and no amount of peat will increase the pppm any further.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003ePort Ellen Maltings on Islay always burn approximately 10 tons of peat for every 50 tons of barley and\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ethe results range from as low as 30 pppm, right up to 80 pppm. In commercial kilning, a sample of peated barley is taken after the kilning process and its pppm is measured. The batches are then blended with unpeated malt to reach the desired level of smokiness.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eOf course the phenolic parts in peated barley wont all make it through to the bottle anyway. Despite being resilient little beasts the phenols have the trials of mashing, fermentation, distillation and ageing to contend with. Laphroaig peat their barley to 40 pppm, their new-make spirit is 25 pppm, but their finished whiskies are all below 10 pppm.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eIt’s also worth noting that the phenolic parts per million are only a guideline to how smoky a whisky will really be when you come to taste it. Although it’s possible to measure phenols accurately, the pppm does not account for other flavourful molecules that might reduce the sensation of smokiness or increase it.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":76389875882,"author":"Tristan Stephenson","user_id":71976517802,"published_at":"2021-05-20T07:11:52+01:00","updated_at":"2021-05-20T07:14:31+01:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"the-science-behind-peat","tags":"tag:flavour, tag:production, tag:science, type:Flavour","image":{"created_at":"2021-03-24T13:50:37+00:00","alt":"","width":700,"height":461,"src":"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/articles\/Peat-Being-Smoked-700x461.jpg?v=1616593838"}}

{"id":555884249258,"title":"We Did It!","created_at":"2021-05-12T19:39:37+01:00","body_html":"\u003cp\u003eIn case you missed it last night, our appearance on Dragons' Den was a roaring success!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThomas and Tristan secured investment of £75,000 from three dragons': Deborah Meaden, Tej Lalvani \u0026amp; Peter Jones. Whisky Me is only the sixth business in the history of the show to secure three dragons, and it is the first whisky company to receive Dragons' Den investment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFurther to our appearance (which was filmed in the autumn) we are pleased to reveal that the paperwork has all been signed and we have welcomed the Dragons' onboard as our new business partners. We're both looking forward to seeing what their combined experience can do for Whisky Me, to grow the club internationally as well as to improve it for you, our loyal club members.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou can watch the whole show on BBC iPlayer or view our segment in the den below:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wcMFXMYG3hU\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":76389875882,"author":"Tristan Stephenson","user_id":71976517802,"published_at":"2021-05-14T09:00:00+01:00","updated_at":"2021-05-14T09:26:27+01:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"we-did-it","tags":"tag:media","image":{"created_at":"2021-05-12T19:39:37+01:00","alt":"","width":1280,"height":720,"src":"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/articles\/maxresdefault.jpg?v=1620844777"}}

{"id":555790794922,"title":"Enter the Dragons","created_at":"2021-04-26T14:26:27+01:00","body_html":"\u003cp\u003eWe have some exciting news to share with you!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBack in September, Tom and Tristan travelled to Manchester with a suitcase full of Whisky Me pouches (and a head full of dreams...) to film with the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/programmes\/b006vq92\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Dragons Den\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003eBBC show Dragons' Den\u003c\/a\u003e. In case you are unaware of the show's format, it sees entrepreneurs pitch their businesses to a panel of multi-millionaire investors with the hope of taking one (or more) of them on as a partner. Dragons' Den has helped to grow brands like \u003cem\u003eLevi Roots\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Craft Gin Club\u003c\/em\u003e to name but a couple.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo spoilers here I'm afraid, as the BBC asks participants not to reveal whether their pitch was successful until after the show airs. Truth be told it's been a bit of a struggle for us to keep quiet for the past nine months!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you are interested to find out how we did (or just want to watch us squirm!) be sure to pour yourself a large whisky - perhaps your May dram? - and tune in to BBC1 at 8pm on Thursday 13th May.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKeep an eye on this blog and our social media channels too, as we'll be posting more about our experience in the Den soon!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor press and media enquiries please contact \u003ca href=\"mailto:laura@whisky-me.com\"\u003elaura@whisky-me.com\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":76389875882,"author":"Tristan Stephenson","user_id":71976517802,"published_at":"2021-05-06T20:52:54+01:00","updated_at":"2021-05-06T21:26:15+01:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"enter-the-dragons","tags":"tag:media","image":{"created_at":"2021-05-06T20:52:02+01:00","alt":"","width":1200,"height":675,"src":"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/articles\/p09b00ky.jpg?v=1620330723"}}

{"id":555761991850,"title":"Whisky By Flavour","created_at":"2021-04-22T08:32:13+01:00","body_html":"\u003cp\u003eThe whisky category can be a daunting place if you're just starting out on your whisky journey, and even folks who have years of experience exploring whisky can easily find themselves bamboozled by the diversity of the products available to them. The range of products available is one of the things that makes whisky great, but understanding the full spectrum of whisky styles available and then learning how to select them can be a bit of a challenge.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEver since we opened our first whisky bar, \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.barblackrock.com\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Black Rock Whisky Bar\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003eBlack Rock\u003c\/a\u003e, in 2015, we have been championing the marketing of sale of whisky by \u003cem\u003eflavour\u003c\/em\u003e. This goes against the traditional notions of organising whiskies by their base material (malt, corn, rye, etc.) country of origin, region, and distillery. These systems have worked okay in the past, but conformity to regional styles is no longer a given, with even individual distilleries sometimes producing a range of different tasting whiskies that could have been sourced from anywhere in the world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFlavour, however, is a unifying feature of all whiskies and can be tracked and mapped on a dram by dram basis. It allows us to communicate exactly what a whisky tastes like rather than what it might (or should) taste like based on a few made up geographical borders or some assumptions about what cereals are available in that region. It's also, ultimately, what we're looking for in a whisky. Whether it's a fruity malt or a spicy rye you're after, it's far better to talk of these spirits as \u003cem\u003eflavours\u003c\/em\u003e rather than products of a specific grain or location.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/whiskyflavourmap_600x600.jpg?v=1619076680\" alt=\"Whisky Flavour Map\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe malt whisky flavour map was created for this purpose, by plotting distilleries on to a flavour map with axis that represent certain taste characteristics. The malt whisky flavour map can be difficult to navigate however, and especially so when the number of distilleries increases beyond 20 or 30. It also doesn't take in to account the variety of flavours that a single distillery can produce.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt Black Rock (and now Whisky Me) we took a different approach. Black Rock was the first whisky bar in the world to have no bar and no back bar (where spirits are normally displayed). Instead, we installed six cabinets, each one marked with a different flavour: Smoke, Fruit, Balance, Fragrance, Sweet, Spice. These cabinets made no distinction for distillery, country of origin, price, or anything other than flavour. This enabled our guests to make informed decisions around what type of whisky they wanted to drink, based on personal preference, occasion and the serve itself (straight, mixed, cocktail, etc.) This system also helps guests to discover similar whiskies that are nearby on the flavour spectrum.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/WM_RGB_PROFILES_600x600.jpg?v=1619004945\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs of May 2021 we have applied these same category principles to all of the whiskies we send you, as well as in our online bottle shop. You will notice that the label on every pouch has one or two background colours which indicate the flavour camp(s) that the whisky sits in. We hope that this will help you to identify the styles you like the most so that you can make better decisions when picking new whiskies to try.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOur \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/whiskies\"\u003eonline shop\u003c\/a\u003e is equipped with filters that can select for flavour, so have a play around and see if you discover something unexpected to satisfy your palate.\u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":76389875882,"author":"Tristan Stephenson","user_id":71976517802,"published_at":"2021-04-22T08:36:22+01:00","updated_at":"2021-04-30T10:10:22+01:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"whisky-by-flavour","tags":"tag:flavour, type:Flavour","image":{"created_at":"2021-04-22T08:36:03+01:00","alt":"","width":1000,"height":807,"src":"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/articles\/MG_1197_copy_c6008a1e-3ed3-4c2b-ac89-62cef629a00c.jpg?v=1619076964"}}

{"id":493205618858,"title":"Whisky Smuggling and Moonshining in Scotland","created_at":"2021-02-23T14:45:36+00:00","body_html":"\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe first tax on spirits in Scotland was set in 1644, at a rate of 2s. 8d for \"everie [sic] pynt of aquavytie or strong watteries sold within the countrey\", with further increases half-a-dozen times the following 60 years. After the Act of Union in 1707 the parliaments of England and Scotland were as one, and the same taxes on distillation applied to both. In 1715 the English Malt tax was put in to affect in Scotland too and increased in 1725, making it one of the major contributing factors to the Jacobite uprising and riots that were frequent in the time. But even with heavier taxes the distilling industry continued to prosper, since \u003cem\u003euisgebah \u003c\/em\u003e(whisky) could be made form other cereals too. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eOne of histories most prominent malt distilleries from the same period, and the first large distillery to flourish in Scotland, was Ferintosh. The distillery at Ferintosh became an incredibly lucrative operation after its owner was granted a tax break for support of the new Dutch king, William of Orange, who took to the British throne in 1689. No taxes meant the product could be sold cheap, meaning the other tax paying distilleries were fighting an uphill battle when competing with Ferintosh.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/roys-military-map-of-c-1750-51-showing-a-densely-populated-area-of-ferintosh_600x600.jpg?v=1616591811\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eGrowth for Scottish distillers continued up until 1752, with the annual output almost doubling in the space of ten years. The future looked good until disaster struck in in 1757, marked by a massive crop failure that forced the British government to prohibit the sale of distilled spirits for three years. The use of a private still was not prohibited however and so long as its wares were used only for household consumption no law was broken. No enterprising Scotsman in their right mind would lie down just like that and so started illicit distilling and smuggling on a massive scale. By the time the ban was lifted it was already too late, duty-free whisky had a good taste to it and the illicit still men had little inclination towards paying taxes. And it was the game of taxation that seemed to govern the prevalence of illicit operations for the next 50 years, increasing dramatically when the risk of being caught was out balanced by the reward. A sudden increase in duty meant the sprouting up of new illicit distilleries by the hundreds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eIt seems like the government were too slow to recognise that things were getting out of hand and Excise officers were simply too soft on those caught in the act of illicit distilling, with early records of some individuals being caught three or four times in a short space of time. By the time the authorities got a handle on the  scale of the problem, it was already endemic and far too big to police or manage, regardless even of the severity of the punishment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThe risk to the clandestine operatives of course was not a particularly great one. The various inaccessible, islands, glens and crags of the Highlands (many of which have given their names to present day legitimate distilleries) provided ample seclusion from the prying eyes of the Excise officers, who were also known as gaugers - named for their \"gauging\" of the malt to assess its duty. The Glendronach distillery in Speyside is one such operation that picked its location very carefully. Situated adjacent to natural springs, it meant that there was an abundance of good clean water, but even better than that were the colony of rooks who nested nearby and were prone to screaming whenever anyone approached at nighttime - as good a security alarm as anyone could wish for.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/image_13a6a0b7-ced9-45af-8ed6-47b413b097e3_600x600.jpg?v=1616592134\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThe ‘legal’ distilleries now had to compete on price with both the Duty-free Ferintosh distillery, as well as illicit operations that also weren't paying any tax. Many of them reacted the only way that they could, and took measures to fake their Customs and Excise production declarations in an attempt to reduce their tax bill. The government got wise to this pretty quickly though and enforced a series of strict and oppressive measures that aimed to control the few remaining legitimate operations. In 1774 William Pitt’s Wash Act was passed, which required Lowland stills to be a minimum of 400 litres in capacity and taxed on their size, not their output. Highland distillers were granted more lenient taxes, based on the volume produced, and permitted to use smaller stills of a minimum 91 litres. The only problem was they weren’t allowed to sell it outside of the Highlands. The Wash Act drew a deep line in the sand between how Lowland and Highland distilleries operated, encouraging the distillers in the South to build stills that could distill very quickly, albeit with a significant drop in quality. In the Highlands there was less rush, and the spirit was said to be of a much greater standard than the Lowland swill… but only available in the Highlands. The enforcement of these differing taxes is one of the reasons for the distinction between the lighter lowland a bolder highland styles we have today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eAs the 18\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eth\u003c\/span\u003e century drew to a close the ongoing Highland clearances, also known as the ‘expulsion of the Gael’ only served to fuel the fire of resentment that burned for the British Government.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eAny perception in the Highlands that smugglers were wrong doers, or law breakers, had been replaced by an acceptance of it as a profession and even as a god given gaelic right. \u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003eBoth the duty and the punishment for non-compliance were further increased and Scotts rebelled, resulting in what almost amounted to all out warfare.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003eThe rate of taxation on whisky fluctuated greatly over the years, as much as tripling in war times when the British government needed the cash, and settling down again during times of peace.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003eWhisky would be distributed amongst towns and villages by ‘bladdermen’, so called because concealed beneath their britches would be a bladder full of uisge beatha. Highland Park distillery on Orkney (see pox) were known to \u003c\/span\u003eseclude casks of whisky in the hollow pillars of nearby St. Magnus Cathedral, despite the attending Reverend reaffirming ‘thou shalt not make whisky’ in his Sunday service.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003eDuring the same period it has estimated that Edinburgh had around 400 distilleries; 11 of them were licensed.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/landseer-still-10011_600x600.jpg?v=1616591900\" alt=\"An illicit distillery\"\u003eThe 1823 Excise Act changed everything however, duty on Scottish whisky was cut by more than fifty-percent, down to the manageable rate of 2s. 5d. per gallon. For many business minded distillers this was an opportunity to legitimise their operations and grow their businesses. Glenlivet, Fettercairn, Cardhu, Balmenach and Ben Nevis are just some of the distilleries that are still operational today, that saw their chance and licensed their operations during this time. By 1825 there were 263 licensed distilleries in Scotland, all of them free to produce whatever volume of spirit they wished. Quality naturally improved, since it’s so much easier to make good whisky when you don’t have to hide it from anyone, as did quantity, and the operations that chose to avoid the duty were soon forced out of the market place with records of seizure in Scotland dropping from a post-Excise Act high of 764 in 1835, down to only 2 in 1875.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003eThe smuggling in Scotland didn’t stop there mind you. The tax on spirits was much higher in England than Scotland during the 19th century, to the tune of 8s. per gallon. Licensed scotch distillers, many of which had plenty of experience of the smuggling lifestyle, developed ever more ingenious methods to smuggle their mountain dew over the border, even going as far as to train dogs to swim across rivers with pig bladders full of whisky in tow. Practices like that were small time however, there were bigger operations taking place as some estimates place the volume of Scottish duty paid whisky crossing the border in the 1820’s in upward of ten-thousand gallons every week (that’s a lot of dogs). Many of the distillers would travel in armed groups, each carrying\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003e30 litres load of spirit tied to themselves in metal canisters; most of the time excise officers were simply too scared to approach them - who can blame them?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003eEven up until the 1980’s it was normal for Excise Officers to live ‘on site’ at the distillery. One distillery manager once candidly told me that “To be a distillery worker you have to have a real genuine love for drinking whisky, but to be an Excise officer you have to have an even bigger love.”\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":76389875882,"author":"Tristan Stephenson","user_id":71976517802,"published_at":"2021-04-22T08:30:00+01:00","updated_at":"2021-04-22T08:30:00+01:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"highland-photographer-matt-reding-shows-us-the-ropes","tags":"tag:distillery, tag:history","image":{"created_at":"2021-03-24T13:24:59+00:00","alt":"","width":1080,"height":593,"src":"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/articles\/scotlands-secret-history-p105-75628.png?v=1616592300"}}

{"id":555644256426,"title":"WHISKY ME: Single Malt Scotch vs. World Whisky","created_at":"2021-03-31T15:13:24+01:00","body_html":"\u003cp\u003eIf you're about to join Whisky Me, one of the questions you might be asking yourself is whether to go for the Scotch Single Malt (SSM) subscription or World Whisky (WW) Subscription. Or natural response to this is to say \"try both!\" but for those of you with better restraint this article is might help you make an informed decision. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhisky Me is all about exploration, and we have gone to great lengths to ensure that both the Scotch Single Malt and World Whisky subscriptions deliver whiskies that will surprise and delight you. We partner with distilleries big and small, old and new, known and unknown. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLet's take a look at each subscription separately to establish the key differences. We will begin with SSM, which was our first subscription option and has been running for three and half years now, delivering somewhere in the region of 100,000 pouches to our members in that time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eScotch Single Malt Whisky\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOur SSM subscription gets you a pouch of malt whisky from a single Scottish distillery each month. There are around 116 malt distilleries operating out of Scotland right now and we have partnered over 40 of them to date. So there are still a fair few more to go, but also new and different expressions from distilleries we have previously visited. Although SSM has fairly strict production parameters compared to WW, it is still extremely diverse in the styles and flavours that fall under that heading. We have featured light, fragrant whiskies with herbal or floral notes, right through to rich and juicy whiskies with powerful smoky characteristics. And everything in-between. Suffice to say that you could stay with a SSM subscription for years and continue to find new and exciting whiskies that you will have never tried before.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eA list of good things about a SSM sub:\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExplore a specific producing country and get granular with the styles it produces\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNever deviate top quality Single Malt Whisky from Scotland\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStyles are varied but less so than World Whisky\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProduct is shipped directly from our bottling facility in Scotland\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDetailed tasting notes, food parings and monthly live tasting\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eBetter for folks who:\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDon't like bourbon\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAre looking to further their exploration of scotch malts\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWould rather play it safe\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWorld Whisky\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe WW subscription is our new baby and something that we're very excited to show off. Sign up to this subscription and you'll receive a monthly pouch of whisky that could be sourced from any one of the thousands of distilleries and blenders from over fifty countries that now produce whisky. Not only will you be receiving whiskies from different producing countries - each with their own take on how whisky should be made - but you will be receiving different whisky categories too: bourbon, rye, wheat, single malt, single grain, blends, and other really weird stuff that will blow your mind. If you're up for exploring the outer limits of the whisky category, or keen to be one of the first to encounter the next most talked about distillery in the world, this subscription is for you.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eA list of good things:\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExplore further afield taking in the full breadth of the global whisky category\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCelebrate variety by drinking whiskies made from a range of cereals, produced in very different ways, and often exhibiting flavours that you wont find in Scotland\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDiscover distilleries that you might never have heard of\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDetailed tasting notes, food parings and monthly live tasting\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eBetter for folks who:\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWant the full, uncensored whisky experience \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHave a good amount of experience with scotch and want to see more\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLike being surprised\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAppreciate variety\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you're still unsure which one is right for you, remember there's absolutely nothing stopping you from signing up to both subscriptions to test the water. You can always cancel one later down the line, though there's a good chance you might get used to two pouches landing on your doormat every month and not want to!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":76389875882,"author":"Tristan Stephenson","user_id":71976517802,"published_at":"2021-04-22T08:05:53+01:00","updated_at":"2021-05-20T07:15:16+01:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"whisky-me-single-malt-scotch-vs-world-whisky","tags":"tag:flavour, tag:production, type:Flavour","image":{"created_at":"2021-03-31T17:04:18+01:00","alt":"","width":1500,"height":1058,"src":"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/articles\/WM_Scotch_Label_MAY.jpg?v=1617206659"}}

{"id":493205586090,"title":"Distillery Profile: Highland Park","created_at":"2021-02-23T14:44:57+00:00","body_html":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe Highland Park distillery is located on the outskirts of Kirkwall, the main town on the Island of Orkney that just off the north coast of Scotland. Orkney is comprised of around 70 islands in total (some only appear when the tide is low!), of which around 22 are inhabited. The islands sit at 59º latitude, which is almost the same as Bergen in Norway.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eWhat this means is less seasonal effect on temperature, but plenty of effect on light. Summers peak at about 16ºC and over 18 hours of sunlight. Winter rarely drops below 0ºC and captures a mere 6 hours of daylight. Wind, on the other hand, is a constant feature. The islands actually feel like they are near the top of the world, the sun and shadows behave differently in Orkney, the clouds appear low, distant and somehow squashed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/HP-17-Soren-Cask-Stencil-Distressed-8_600x600.jpg?v=1616586838\" alt=\"Barrels at Highland Park\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe isolation is palpable, and it’s said that only 1% of Scots ever visit, which is why it might seem surprising that the islands have been prized for so long. The standing stones of Orkney are the oldest man made structures in the British Isles, Roman conquests took great interest in the islands too, as did Viking invaders in the 10\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eth\u003c\/span\u003e Century, who have left behind a lasting Nordic burble in the otherwise Scottish dialect of the Orcadians. Orkney was also the chief tactical Naval base during the first and second world wars, mainly due to the Scapa flow, which is one of the largest natural harbours in the World. During times of war the population grew by a factor of six, from the steady 20,000 souls, up to 120,000.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe Highland Park distillery stopped production during both wars, during WW2 the wash backs served as gigantic bathtubs for naval men who would walk over from nearby communication bunkers.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe rather Nordic sounding Magnus Euson first founded a distillery on the Highland Park site in the late 18\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eth\u003c\/span\u003e century and the operation was founded properly in 1798 by David Robertson. Before the Excise Act of 1826 it would have operated illegally, which is the reason for the tactical placement it holds with views out to Kirkwall harbour and the incoming roads from the south - no, there’d be no unexpected visits from Excise Officers here!\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eObviously the distillery is a totally legitimate operation today, owned and operated by the Edrington group, who play parent to the Macallan brand as well as the Famous Grouse blend, which HP contributes towards.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/HP-17-Soren-Rolling-Cask-1_600x600.jpg?v=1616586882\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eFrom a production perspective Highland Park’s most interesting feature is its malting floors. It is the largest of the seven distilleries that malt their own and supplies 20% of HP’s total requirements and 100% of the subtle peat influence that is lingers in the final product. The remaining 80% (unpeated) malt is bought in from Simpsons Maltings on the mainland. I’m told by HP’s distillery manager, Graham Manson, that when all is said and done the barley that is malted by at the distillery itself costs twice as much as it would be were it bought in from the mainland. But Highland Park consider the Orkney peated malt to be a part of their whiskies DNA, and the accountants are fighting a losing battle in this instance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe Peat smoke on Orkney is different to that of the mainland partly due to the lack of trees on\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003ethe island, which gave up braving Orkney’s incessant salty winds a long time ago. Highland Park’s peat is brown like soil, rich with heather roots and not a lot else. Peat cutting takes place on Hobbister Moor in late spring, where over 350 tons is cut, \u003ci\u003emostly \u003c\/i\u003eby hand, in the space of two weeks. Its influence is that of a light sootiness, rather than the iodine phenolics of a comparable Islay malt.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe second most interesting feature of HP bookends the production process, and it is wood. No bourbon casks have been filled since 2004, and every cask whether made from American or European Oak is constructed in Spain and loaned out to be filled with sherry for two years. Even for Highland Park’s core 12 year old expression, the distillery must be thinking about supply and demand a full 20 years in advance. Daryl Haldane, Global Brand Ambassador, tells me that “the acid in the sherry removes the flavours from the wood that we don’t want in Highland Park.”\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe multitude of expressions that Highland Park produce trace out a battle between old and new world casks, fought by fresh first-fill warriors and tired (and tested) refill veterans. Each expression is like a de-briefing of the aftermath where one side usually tips the other.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eFor us, it’s the strict code of malt and wood that Highland Park adhered to, coupled with the open attitude to explore complex avenues of wood influence over time that defines Highland Park whisky and makes it some of the most highly respected stuff out there.\u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":76389875882,"author":"Tristan Stephenson","user_id":71976517802,"published_at":"2021-03-17T14:00:00+00:00","updated_at":"2021-04-30T10:10:53+01:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"we-chat-to-nc-nean-founder-annabel-about-changing-the-world","tags":"highland park, maturation, peat, tag:distillery, tag:history, tag:production, type:Distilleries","image":{"created_at":"2021-03-24T11:50:30+00:00","alt":"","width":1200,"height":800,"src":"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/articles\/HP-17-Soren-Distillery-Night-1.jpg?v=1616586630"}}

{"id":493154074794,"title":"Mixing Whisky: The Mizuwari and Bourbon \u0026 Branch","created_at":"2021-02-17T10:04:38+00:00","body_html":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe Japanese ritual of Muzuwari is one of the best examples of the simplicity of a whisky drinking winning over. On the face of it this drink is nothing more than whisky, water and ice, but if there’s one thing that the Japanese do well, it’s ice. If there’s another thing that they do well, it’s whisky. And they’re not bad at water either.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eI was intrigued the first time I was served a Mizuwari, back in 2014, by the legendary bartender Kichi-San, in Tokyo’s underground \u003cem\u003eStar Bar:\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eYamazaki 12, hand cracked ice and crystal clear water were added to a glass, and the concoction silently and skilfully stirred for just the right length of time. A quick sniff alerted me to some faint aromatics of whisky, but it was in the taste where I was really surprised.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/StarBar-Tokyo-Japan-02_600x600.jpg?v=1616588510\" alt=\"Star Bar\" style=\"float: none;\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe liquid itself was very cold indeed as it whipped around my mouth hammering home tropical fruits like pineapple and lychee, then slipping away like a fruity little serpent. The other surprising thing was the sweetness—oh, the sweetness!—despite having had no sugar added at all. I put much of that down to the viscosity of\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003ethe liquid post-chilling.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eSince then, I regularly find myself diluting whisky to see what effect it has on the our of the dram. You see alcohol, whilst accentuating some flavours, does a very good job of masking others. Take it out of the equation (almost) and you have the opportunity to experience whisky in a whole new light.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eA similar drink that is traditionally drunk in America is \"Bourbon \u0026amp; Branch\". I was first introduced to this cocktail when reading the Ian Fleming Novel, \u003ci\u003eDiamond’s Are Forever\u003c\/i\u003e. In the novel, our hero, James Bond, orders this drink because it is “fashionable in racing circuits”. The author goes on to explain how \"real Bourbon drinkers insist on having their whisky in the traditional style, with water from high up in the branch of the local river where it will be purest.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eIt would seem that whiskey drinkers in the 1960’s were a discerning crowd, even down to the type of water that went in to the glass. I have born witness on a number of occasions to distillers and blenders brooding over the effect that different types of water have when added to a whisky. Rachel Barrie, from the Bowmore distillery is one such person who I know has taken a great interest in to how the product evolves when diluted with a range of waters from different sources.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eOnce water becomes 75% of your drink, things like the pH, mineral content and TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) begin to have a big impact on flavour perception. Mineral salts, are very much like table salt, so can accentuate certain characteristics, as well as provide a harder, more chalky texture. Soft water, with a lower TDS tends to feel sweeter as slinks about your mouth, and water with a particularly high pH (alkaline) or low pH (acid) can give a boost to spicy flavours and smoke. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/Long_Rusty_Nail_600x600.jpg?v=1616588861\" alt=\"Mizuwari (with soda)\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eMizuwari\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e50ml Hakushu Distillers Select\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e150ml Japanese Mineral Water\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eTake a highball glass and add a few chunks of hand cracked ice. If you can get hold of the crystal clear stuff then all the better. Add the whisky and water and stir for one minute. Japanese tradition dictates that you should stir only three-and-a-half times, but I personally feel it benefits from a little extra chilling. Try not to disrupt the ice too much, it should be a quiet process. Remove the spoon and serve with a warm \u003cem\u003eoshi-bori\u003c\/em\u003e towel.\u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":76389875882,"author":"Tristan Stephenson","user_id":71976517802,"published_at":"2021-02-17T10:04:43+00:00","updated_at":"2021-03-25T17:30:48+00:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"our-top-japanese-whisky-distilleries-really-worth-a-visit","tags":"tag:flavour, tag:mixing","image":{"created_at":"2021-03-24T12:20:30+00:00","alt":"","width":2519,"height":1200,"src":"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/articles\/Salary_Man_copy.jpg?v=1616588431"}}