The Tapped Cask

{"id":557481853098,"title":"Speyburn","created_at":"2022-02-28T09:55:58+00:00","body_html":"\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLocated in a tight little glen opposite Glen Grant, Speyburn started operation in 1897 and was one of a number of distilleries designed by local architect \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/scotchwhisky.com\/magazine\/whisky-heroes\/7007\/whisky-heroes-charles-doig\/\"\u003eCharles Doig\u003c\/a\u003e. The owners of the distillery were John and Edward Hopkins.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLike many distilleries it was absorbed into Scottish Malt Distillers (the malt arm of Distillers Company Limited) in 1916. It then fell silent four a total of four years in 1930. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJump forward to 1991 and the distillery was acquired by Inver House Distillers and remains under their regency to this day.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/Distillation_1024x1024.jpg?v=1646043147\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpeyburn has a capacity of 1.9 million litres of pure alcohol a year from just two stills. Speyburn is one of a few distilleries in Scotland that use traditional worm tub condensers. Like most worm tub distilleries this method of condensing produces a deliberately sulphury new make which changes in cask to reveal the a delicate, fragrant character.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/Speyburn_Maturation_1024x1024.jpg?v=1646043181\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe distillery fills casks at 69.3%, which is a few percentage points higher than the industry standard, and results in a more oaky lactone (polish, butterscotch) notes being pulled from the cask.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":76389875882,"author":"Tristan Stephenson","user_id":71976517802,"published_at":"2022-03-08T17:00:01+00:00","updated_at":"2022-03-08T17:00:01+00:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"speyburn","tags":"distillery, scotch, single malt, speyburn, tag:distillery, tag:flavour, tag:history, tag:maturation, tag:production, whisky","image":{"created_at":"2022-02-28T10:14:09+00:00","alt":"","width":1200,"height":800,"src":"\/\/whisky-me.com\/cdn\/shop\/articles\/Speyburn_Distillery_2.jpg?v=1646043249"}}

{"id":557354418346,"title":"Westland","created_at":"2022-02-03T11:59:23+00:00","body_html":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eOver the past decade Westland Distillery in Seattle has established itself as one of the most respected distilleries in the US, and is famed for producing single malt whiskies in the Scottish style but with a special emphasis on celebrating the Pacific Northwest. In some ways their approach is reminiscent of a new world wine maker making old world style wines. Westland’s founders, Matt\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eHoffmann and Emmerson Lamb view Washington as one of the best places in the world to make single malt whiskey. The Skagit Valley and Palouse Region offer some of the best cereal growing condition in the world. The Cedar River Watershed, which is one of the last unfiltered water sources in a metropolitan area, provides a great water source for the distillery. Westland consider it a “national treasure.” Then there’s the climate, which is very mild and not at all different to that of the UK.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/Westland_Instagram_1200px_x_1200px_West_Is_Whiskey_1024x1024.jpg?v=1643889409\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eAlthough Westland\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003emake only single malt whiskey, they use more than one type of malt do it. They call it a five malt grain bill, which constitutes a blend of Washington Select Pale Malt, Munich Malt, Extra Special Malt, Pale Chocolate Malt, and Brown Malt in varying proportions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eSpeciality malts are malts have undergone special heating processes in which the starches are converted to sugars by heat and moisture right inside the hull. As a result, these malts contain more complex sugars, some of which do not ferment, leaving a pleasant caramel-like sweetness. They range from pale gold to dark or burnt browns.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/Westland_Mashing_1024x1024.jpg?v=1643882157\" alt=\"Pouring off fermented wash\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eThe five fermentation tanks here are 10,000 litres and made from stainless steel. Westland use a Belgian Saison brewer's yeast—that has a ton of flavour but ferments more slowly and yields a little bit less. It’s for that reason that fermentation times can go on for up to six days here. Unusually for a malt whiskey distillery, Westland also add enzymes to their mashes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e“Enzymes are a concession we had to make when we chose to use the darker roasted malts,” says Tyler Pederson, production manager at Westland. “We could brew without them, but with them we know we’re getting the maximum possible starch conversion.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eTheir saison yeast is happiest when fermenting at low temperatures between 15 - 20°C (the Scottish influence at Westland extends even to a use metric volumes and temperature measured in celsius). However Westland ferment at around 26°C which they think helps to make a more ester rich beer. The target here is bright fruity ester notes along with some phenolics. Tyler says that the aromas of clove and banana come through in the third day of the fermentation. By the end of the fermentation Westland have themselves a beer of 8% ABV.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eWestland products are distilled twice, true to the Scottish style. The stills are made by Venodme, with the wash still weighing in at 2,000 litres and the spirit still 1,500 litres\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e“Our process is very similar to how they operate in Scotland,” says Tyler. “But we do have some things we that are very unique.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/Westland_Spirit_Safe_2_1024x1024.jpg?v=1643882103\" alt=\"Cutting the spirit\"\u003eOne of these unique things is that Westland make a cut in both their spirit distillation and their wash distillation. Tyler collects from the first distillation in two batches, switching when the low wines drop below 15% ABV. The first batch will be on average around 35% ABV and Tyler explains  that if he dilutes this with water to below 27.5% ABV, that a phase separation takes place\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eand many of the fatty acids that were previously suspended in the solution float to the top of the vat. Tyler then draws off the liquid from the bottom of the tank, leaving the fatty acid oil slick behind. Now that this fraction of the low wine has been cleaned up, it’s re-distilled as a spirits run. The purpose of forcing this phase separation is to remove some of the heavier, oily components from the spirit, which lighten the texture of the whiskey and helps promote clean, fruity aromas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eOn a typical day Westland will collect around 900 litres of 70% spirit. This will then be diluted with water ready for filling in too cask. Barrels are filled at 55% ABV if it’s new American oak and 62.5% for wine cask and other types of used barrels.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eWestland’s warehousing is located on Washington’s North Bay in a small town called Hoquiam. The 8,000-person town, which happens to be Westland founder Emerson Lamb’s hometown, has a steady, predictable and damp climate, similar to that of Scotland: an ideal environment for the maturation process. Westland have about one barrel there for every person living in the town.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/american_single_malt_600x600.jpg?v=1643889503\" alt=\"\"\u003eThere are three main bottlings coming out of Westland: American Oak, which is made from the five grain mash bill and matured for a minimum of three years in a combination of new oak casks and refill bourbon casks; Sherry Oak, which is also made from the same mash bill but aged in a combination of new American oak and ex-oloroso sherry and ex-Pedro Ximenex casks; and finally Peated, which is made from 100% pelted malt, aged in new oak casks and refill bourbon casks, then blended after maturation with what is effectively the whiskey that goes in to the American Oak bottling. Although Westland bottles don’t mention how old the liquid inside is, all of their releases are are aged for a minimum of three years.\u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":76389875882,"author":"Tristan Stephenson","user_id":71976517802,"published_at":"2022-02-04T12:00:03+00:00","updated_at":"2022-02-04T12:00:03+00:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"westland","tags":"american single malt, seattle, tag:distillery, tag:flavour, tag:production, tag:science, usa, washington, westland","image":{"created_at":"2022-02-03T11:59:23+00:00","alt":"","width":1500,"height":1125,"src":"\/\/whisky-me.com\/cdn\/shop\/articles\/Westland_American_Oak_Lifestyle_Bottle_16_2.jpg?v=1643889564"}}

{"id":557354090666,"title":"Bladnoch","created_at":"2022-02-03T09:45:40+00:00","body_html":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eBladnoch Distillery is a Single malt Scotch whisky distillery in south west Scotland. It is one of six remaining Lowland distilleries, located at Bladnoch, near Wigtown, Dumfries and Galloway, making it the most southerly malt distillery in Scotland (Newcastle is further north!). Bladnoch has been a hotspot for whisky tourism for a few decades, partly due to its quintessentially rural aesthetic that still hints at the working farm that once occupied the site.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/190702_BLADNOCH_8186_1024x1024.jpg?v=1643881331\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eBladnoch’s history as a distillery dates back to 1817, when John and Thomas McClelland were first granted a licence to distil Whisky on Bladnoch farm located on the banks of the Rive Bladnoch.For nearly a century, successive generations of McClelland family grew and modernised the distillery. At its peak, the site had six washbacks and annual production of approximately 230,000 litres of alcohol, granting it the moniker “Queen of the Lowlands”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eMore recently, the distillery was owned by Arthur Bell \u0026amp; Sons (which would later become part of Guinness\/United Distillers) between 1983 and 1993, a period during which the brand’s distribution was increased and a visitor centre was established.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eAt the start of the Bell’s era the whisky made here was light and floral, but the blender’s template of nutty and spicy became the norm towards the end of its ownership.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/190702_BLADNOCH_35237_1024x1024.jpg?v=1643881372\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eFollowing a slump in demand United Distillers closed the distillery in 1993 and ownership transferred to Raymond and Colin Armstrong, who initially had plans to turn the site in to a holiday village. In fact, this was a condition stipulated by United Distillers within the terms of the contract. No whisky production was permitted. The brothers had a change of heart however, and spent six years petitioning UD to remove the condition, which they were finally granted in 2000 (albeit with a limit of 100,000 litres a year - a paltry volume by any malt whisky standards). It’s for this reason that most of the income in this era came not from selling whisky but hosting events and renting warehouse space to other distillers.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eThis, unfortunately, meant that the business was unable to sustain itself. The distillery was mothballed in 2009 and the company went in to administration in 2014.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eThen along came the Australian entrepreneur, David Prior, who acquired the company from Raymond and Colin Armstrong, and began an extensive refurbishment of the distillery and a return to the grassy, light lowland style of years past.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eDavid Prior is the only Australian national to own a Scottish malt distillery.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/Bottle_cut_out_600x600.jpg?v=1643881441\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eVinaya is matured in a combination of fist fill sherry and bourbon casks, revealing notes of fresh apple, sweet floral grass and\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003echocolate. ‘Vinaya’, a Sanskrit word meaning respect and gratitude, pays homage to the original founders of the distillery who paved the way, as Bladnoch looks forward to an exciting new era of production and innovation.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":76389875882,"author":"Tristan Stephenson","user_id":71976517802,"published_at":"2022-02-04T10:00:01+00:00","updated_at":"2022-02-04T10:00:01+00:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"bladnoch","tags":"bladnoch, lowland, scotch whisky, single malt, tag:distillery, tag:history, tag:production","image":{"created_at":"2022-02-03T09:45:40+00:00","alt":"","width":1798,"height":1200,"src":"\/\/whisky-me.com\/cdn\/shop\/articles\/BLADNOCH_NO-1.jpg?v=1643881541"}}

{"id":557221937322,"title":"Arbikie","created_at":"2022-01-05T12:27:33+00:00","body_html":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eArbikie is a very new farm to glass distillery owned by the Stirling family. Located on the east coast of Scotland, not far from Dundee, it is one of a new wave of farm distilleries that pay special attention to ingredients by managing whisky production from the sewing of the seed right through to blending and bottling. This gives the Stirling family unrivalled influence over their final product, being able to select not only the variety of grain but also where it is planted, the type of soil used to grow it, and the perfect time to harvest - all before even getting in to the intricacies of whisky making itself!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/Cask_lunan_bay_1024x1024.jpg?v=1641385990\" alt=\"\"\u003eFarming in the Stirling family goes back at least as far as 1660, initially on the west coast of Scotland. The lands passed through seven generations until Bill Stirling moved to Lunan Bay (the sunniest part of Scotland with about 1500 hours of sunshine every year) on the east coast of Angus in the 1920’s. He then passed his land on to his son John, then his son Alec, who expanded the acreage further. The Arbikie distillery and farm estate is today run by Alec’s sons, John, Iain and David.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eAs with most places in Scotland, there is a history of distilling on the Arbikie lands, which dates back to 1794 - over a hundred years before the Stirling family arrived. The modern Arbikie distillery is located on the farm, in the remains of the old cattle barn overlooking the coast. The distilling team is led by Master Distiller, Kirsty Black (listed in the top ten female master distillers in the world by Spirits Business Magazine) and Christian Perez. Besides making whisky, Arbikie produce a range of vodkas and gins too. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/Kirsty_Black_1024x1024.jpg?v=1641386025\" alt=\"\"\u003eWhere whisky is concerned, Arbikie took things in a brave and exciting direction. Their first whisky release is not a single malt but in fact a \u003cem\u003erye whisky\u003c\/em\u003e. Scottish rye whisky hasn’t existed for more than a hundred years, so unlike single malt there are no particular expectations or assumptions on style or taste. \u003cstrong\u003eHighland Rye 1794\u003c\/strong\u003e is made from from a mash of Arantes rye, Viscount wheat, and Odyssey malted barley then matured in new, charred American oak barrels. It is distilled in copper pots, which retains much of the character of those carefully grown cereals, which are necessary to do battle with the flavoursome new oak.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/Arantes_Rye_1024x1024.jpg?v=1641386115\" alt=\"\"\u003eThe end result is not like a typical American rye whisky, nor is it like any other single grain scotch we’ve tasted. But rather something new. Or old? Sottish rye whisky.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/1794_Bottle_and_Background_1024x1024.jpg?v=1641386180\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":76389875882,"author":"Tristan Stephenson","user_id":71976517802,"published_at":"2022-01-07T15:44:14+00:00","updated_at":"2022-01-07T15:44:14+00:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"arbikie","tags":"arbikie, rye whisky, scottish rye, tag:distillery, tag:flavour, tag:history, tag:maturation","image":{"created_at":"2022-01-05T12:36:33+00:00","alt":"","width":1500,"height":1000,"src":"\/\/whisky-me.com\/cdn\/shop\/articles\/Distillery_-_CREDIT_THE_GIN_COOPERATIVE.jpg?v=1641386194"}}

{"id":557221740714,"title":"Glentauchers","created_at":"2022-01-05T12:16:31+00:00","body_html":"\u003cp\u003eEstablished in 1897, Glentauchers was one of the distilleries founded by the hugely successful blender James Buchanan, with design overseen by the legendary Charles Doig. Doig was a true innovator in distillery architecture and the man responsible for the attractive pagoda roof (or “Doig's ventilator”) seen atop most of the distilleries in Scotland today. These were originally designed \u003cspan\u003eto draw air up through the bed of barley lying on the kiln haircloth below,\u003c\/span\u003e but since all but a few in-house maltings have closed, now remain only ornamental.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/media.scotchwhisky.com\/images\/media\/7b2708669ce9b7453e7fa8c142839cf8.jpg\" alt=\"Doig ventilators at Strathisla distillery\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGlentauchers was one of the many distilleries that suffered from the slump in demand in the early 1980s and thus was mothballed in 1985. Allied Distillers (which later became part of Chivas Brothers which is itself owned by the French liquor giant Pernod Ricard) snapped it up in 1989 but didn’t restart production until 1992.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday, the distillery has three spirit stills and three wash stills, with a total production capacity of 4,500,000 litres of pure alcohol per year. This makes it the 33rd biggest distillery in Scotland, sitting alongside the likes of Dalmore and Glenfarclas in production volume. Unlike those distilleries however, almost all of Glentauchers ends up in blended whisky. Bottles of Glentauchers single malt are uncommon outside of the the independent bottler Gordon \u0026amp; McPhail and no true distillery bottling exists to this day save for a 15-year-old Glentauchers which was made available under the Balantine’s brand in 2017.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo yes, we are rather excited be sharing our own casks of Glentauchers with you and making it available to buy by the bottle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/main_1024x1024.jpg?v=1641385268\" alt=\"\"\u003eThe long ferment and leisurely distillation at Glentauchers produces a new make that sits on the floral and fruity end of the flavour spectrum. Our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/whisky-me.com\/products\/glentauchers-6-year-old\" title=\"Glentauchers 6 Year Old\"\u003e6-year-old\u003c\/a\u003e has spent all its years in first fill sherry casks however, which lends a significant burst of fruit and spice to the dram that is at odds with the delicate new make. Beauty and the beast in a single glass!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/whisky-me.com\/products\/glentauchers-6-year-old\" title=\"Glentauchers 6 Year Old\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/Pack_cut_out_600x600.png?v=1641385302\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":76389875882,"author":"Tristan Stephenson","user_id":71976517802,"published_at":"2022-01-07T15:44:05+00:00","updated_at":"2022-01-07T15:44:05+00:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"glentauchers","tags":"6 year old, distillery, glentauchers, malt whisky, scotland, single malt, speyside, whisky me","image":{"created_at":"2022-01-05T12:23:05+00:00","alt":"","width":1686,"height":1000,"src":"\/\/whisky-me.com\/cdn\/shop\/articles\/csm_still_house_59178a43_b650a6e7f2aebf05481c0ed44845ed4a_a28da6daf3.jpg?v=1641385386"}}

{"id":557085655210,"title":"Starward","created_at":"2021-12-06T07:45:32+00:00","body_html":"\u003cp\u003eThe original Starward distillery was setup in 2007 in a former aircraft maintenance hanger, on the outskirts of Melbourne. Back then, Australian whisky was already well established (and centred mostly around the island of Tasmania) but bottles were difficult to track down in Australia, let alone the rest of the world. The founder of Starward, David Vitale, wanted to change this by making a whisky that could be shared and enjoyed rather than tucked away as an investment item. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/Starward_Founder_David_Vitale_1024x1024.jpg?v=1638778667\" alt=\"\" style=\"float: none;\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVitale set out to make a quintessentially Australian product, so all of the ingredients at Starward were sourced \"within a day's drive.\" This meant barley sourced from between Hunter Valley in Northern Sydney and the Adelaide Hills and apera (a sweet Australian fortified wine) and red wine casks from Victoria to mature the whisky. The weather in Melbourne is, well, temperamental, which is much to the benefit of Starward whisky. Hot summers and cold winters, along with Melbourne's famous ‘four seasons in a day’ encourage expansion and contraction of casks, accelerating the effects of maturation and imparting a uniquely Melbournian twist on the juice.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter some early success, followed by funding from Diageo's Distill Ventures accelerator program, Starward re-homed in 2016, moving to a purpose built unit in Melbourne's Dockland s Precinct.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/stills_1024x1024.jpg?v=1638778545\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDavid Vitale is from an Italian family, and firmly believes that whisky belongs on the dinner table, along with good food and good company. The use of red wine and apera casks for maturation helps here, bringing about the familiar dark fruit qualities that mean Starward pairs well with with Australian BBQ, cheese and, well, just about everything edible. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/Web_image_master_file_1024x1024.jpg?v=1639475950\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eStarward Nova is matured in lightly charred or steamed barrels sourced from Australian wineries making great shiraz, cabernets and pinot noirs. Often filled fresh when the barrel is still wet with wine.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe use of red wine casks gives the whisky exceptional length with bright aromatic notes of red berries, orchard fruits, vanilla, caramel and soft oak spice.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":76389875882,"author":"Tristan Stephenson","user_id":71976517802,"published_at":"2021-12-08T15:59:03+00:00","updated_at":"2021-12-14T10:15:22+00:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"starward","tags":"starward, tag:distillery, tag:flavour, type:Distilleries","image":{"created_at":"2021-12-06T08:18:24+00:00","alt":"","width":1200,"height":871,"src":"\/\/whisky-me.com\/cdn\/shop\/articles\/Starward_Distillery_1.jpg?v=1638778705"}}

{"id":557077168298,"title":"Linkwood","created_at":"2021-12-02T12:54:17+00:00","body_html":"\u003cp\u003eThe Linkwood distillery is located on the outskirts of Elgin, in the heart of the Speyside region. The distillery was originally built in the 1821 and kicked in to action in 1824, shortly after the 1823 Excise Act which successfully curtailed illicit distilling in the region. Linkwood was completely rebuilt in the 1870's and a new distillery building was added opposite the old one in the 1970's. By this point it was under the ownership of the Distillers Company Limited (DCL) which through a series of mergers would eventually go on to become Diageo. In the 1980's Linkwood's older distillery building became an experimental site, used by Diageo to research distillation techniques and their affects on the resulting spirit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/CleanShot_2021-11-17_at_09.37.50_2x_20dd1357-3cb3-4972-bd6a-f5073a5ca362_480x480.png?v=1638449242\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe spirit made at Linkwood sits on the lighter end of the Speyside flavour spectrum, being almost Lowland in its delicate, fragrant quality. However, there is a weight to the spirit once it gets in your mouth, which makes it prized by blenders. Indeed, over 99% of Linkwood is destined for one of Diageo's blended whiskies. The rest appears in the occasional independent bottling or is packaged as the only official distillery release, Linkwood Flora \u0026amp; Fauna 12 Year Old. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/bottle_480x480.jpg?v=1638449520\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe bottle has the emblem of a swan on the label, which is a reference to the distillery's resident population of Swans. Legend has it that longtime manager Roderick Mackenzie thought the environment so important to the taste of Linkwood, he forbade the removal of spiders’ webs from the rafters in case the character were to change.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/6304220_IMG_0558_480x480.png?v=1638449585\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":76389875882,"author":"Tristan Stephenson","user_id":71976517802,"published_at":"2021-12-08T15:59:03+00:00","updated_at":"2021-12-08T15:59:03+00:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"linkwood","tags":"","image":{"created_at":"2021-12-02T12:54:17+00:00","alt":"","width":1100,"height":733,"src":"\/\/whisky-me.com\/cdn\/shop\/articles\/6304112_IMG_0401.png?v=1638449658"}}

{"id":556899434666,"title":"Teeling","created_at":"2021-10-27T13:35:31+01:00","body_html":"\u003cp\u003eThe Dublin of the 19th century was an absolute powerhouse of whiskey production. The areas around Thomas Street and the Grand Canal basin, were filled with breweries, malting houses, and four of the biggest distilleries of the time - \u003cem\u003eof any time - \u003c\/em\u003eJohn Jameson \u0026amp; Son, John Power \u0026amp; Son, George Roe \u0026amp; Co. and William Jameson \u0026amp; Co. Between them had a combined output of over 5 million gallons of pot still whiskey per year - over twice that of the whole of Campbeltown (the ‘whisky capital of the world’) during the same era. The spectacle of such an enterprise is almost impossible to envisage in the modern age of tankers and containers, but back then have been reminiscent of an insect colony, filled with dust and smoke and alive with hordes of horse drawn carts carrying whiskey and cereals, winding around corners and up through passageways. The downturn in the 20th century forced the merger of these distilleries in to IDL, keeping the brands alive but dampening their identity and individuality in the process.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/Barrels-of-Jameson-being-sent-to-Dublin-Docks-for-export-c1950-1200x954_1024x1024.jpg?v=1635338113\" alt=\"\"\u003eIn time Ireland had just two active whiskey distilleries. Today there over a dozen and twice that again in planning stages. The poster child of this revival is Teeling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Teeling connection to whiskey goes back at least as far as 1782, when Walter Teeling set up a distillery in Marrowbone Lane in Dublin’s ‘Liberties’ district. Skip forward a couple of centuries and John Teeling becomes the founder of the Cooley distillery in Co. Louth. The site had formerly been a government run facility converting potatoes into industrial ethanol and just before being bought by Teeling it also produced the spirit that went in to Bailey’s Irish Cream Liqueur. Teeling himself allegedly didn’t drink much whiskey, but recognised the need for an independent Irish distillery and leveraged it as is the entrepreneurial way. It wasn’t an easy ride, the distillery was threatened with closure, or worse (purchase by IDL) but Teeling kept things afloat and increased the portfolio of products to include Connemara, Greenore, Kilbeggan, Lockes and Tyrconnell brands, amongst others. In 2011 the distillery was sold to Beam Suntory for €71 million.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd so begins a new legacy of Teeling whiskey in Dublin, operated by a new generation of Teeling brothers, Jack and Stephen. The brand logo, a phoenix rising from a pot still, symbolises the re-establishment of the Teeling whiskey brand. Early releases were made up from the 16,000 casks that Jack and Stephen bought from  Cooley, but the latest expressions which bear no age statement are made from at least partly whiskies made at the Teeling distillery in Dublin, which kicked in to action in 2015.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/CleanShot_2021-10-15_at_07.32.47_2x_53a5b166-3583-4dc4-a1ca-feda30d37750_1024x1024.png?v=1635337980\" alt=\"\"\u003eThe distillery has an annual production capacity of 500,000 litres of pure alcohol, most of which is devoted to making Irish Pot Still whiskey. Pot still whiskies are made in after the same fashion as single malts, only the cereal is mostly \u003cem\u003eunmalted\u003c\/em\u003e barley (with a little malted) and is distilled three times instead of the usual two. This results in a lighter style of new-make whiskey of around 81-82% ABV. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHowever Teeling Small Batch is a mixture of malt and grain whiskies, much like a blended scotch. The malt component is made at the Teeling distillery in Dublin from 100% malted barley which, after mashing and fermentation, is triple distilled and matured in ex-bourbon casks. This is then blended with mature grain whiskey sourced from Cooley and finished in ex-rum casks for 12 months.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/Teeling_Homepage_Distillery_Rum-Cask_3280x1900_bd397baa-61a2-4a41-8d04-015e8560797b_1024x1024.jpg?v=1635338020\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":76389875882,"author":"Tristan Stephenson","user_id":71976517802,"published_at":"2021-11-03T15:00:00+00:00","updated_at":"2021-11-15T12:49:21+00:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"teeling","tags":"ireland, irish whiskey, tag:distillery, tag:history, teeling, type:Distilleries","image":{"created_at":"2021-10-27T13:36:27+01:00","alt":"","width":3280,"height":1900,"src":"\/\/whisky-me.com\/cdn\/shop\/articles\/Teeling_Our-Story_StephenJack_3280x1900_4ec7ee13-7c40-4347-829c-13f0776e922d.jpg?v=1635338188"}}

{"id":556804407466,"title":"East London Liquor Co.","created_at":"2021-10-05T08:27:07+01:00","body_html":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eEast London Liquor Company was founded in 2015, in renovated warehousing on the canal banks of Victoria Park, in the heart of London’s East End. Nowadays it’s not uncommon for a distillery to have a small bar that serves samples of spirits, but the bar at ELLC is a different beast altogether, serving an array of cocktails, wine and food with the distillery on display behind a huge glass wall. Is it a distillery with a bar or a bar with a distillery? We’re not sure, but we sure as hell like it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/Eastender_1024x1024.jpg?v=1633418715\" alt=\"\"\u003eWhen ELLC launched their \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/eastlondonliquorcompany.com\/products\/london-rye-whisky-47-abv\" title=\"London Rye\"\u003eLondon Rye\u003cspan\u003e™\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e a few years back (yes, they trademarked the name) it was the first whisky of its kind in over 100 years. ELLC have also laid claim to the first \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/whisky-me.com\/products\/east-london-liquor-co-east-london-single-malt\" title=\"Single Malt\"\u003eEast London Single Malt\u003c\/a\u003e, which they launched in 2019 making our October 2021 drop the third annual release.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThis whisky is made from malted barley sourced from Great Ryburgh in Norfolk. It’s mashed at the distillery in London and then fermented with distilling and saison yeasts for a total of five days.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThe first of two distillations takes place in a 1,000 litre copper pot still, which captures all the big, bold flavours from that that long fermentation. The second distillation is in a smaller 650 litre still which has the ability to produce both heavy or light spirits thanks to an optional distilling column. ELLC use this still in both configurations then combine the resulting distillates, which by this point sit at around 70% ABV.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/East_London_cask_charliemckay_3524_1024x1024.jpg?v=1633418667\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThe spirit is then reduced down to 62% with the addition of water and it's ready to go in to barrels. The barrels are a mix of small \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/whisky-me.com\/blogs\/learn\/sonoma-distilling-company\" title=\"Sonoma Distilling Co.\"\u003eSonoma\u003c\/a\u003e Bourbon and Rye casks, 200 litre Kentucky Bourbon casks, STR’s (regenerated casks that have been stripped, toasted and re-charred) French red wine casks, and barrels that previously held ELLC’s London Rye\u003cspan\u003e™\u003c\/span\u003e. So a bit of everything really. Total maturation time is 3.5 to 4 years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eFinally the spirit is proofed down to 48% and popped in a bottle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eOr, yes, a pouch!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/pouch_1cee9df3-40b5-49ae-9bce-5c9f6fc6bb72_480x480.png?v=1633418641\" alt=\"\" width=\"203\" height=\"361\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":76389875882,"author":"Tristan Stephenson","user_id":71976517802,"published_at":"2021-10-08T08:30:00+01:00","updated_at":"2021-10-08T08:30:00+01:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"east-london-liquor-co","tags":"ELLC, tag:maturation, tag:production, type:Distilleries","image":{"created_at":"2021-10-05T08:28:33+01:00","alt":"","width":4000,"height":2667,"src":"\/\/whisky-me.com\/cdn\/shop\/articles\/East_London_Andy_Mooney_carrying_cask_charliemckay_3490.jpg?v=1633418913"}}

{"id":556745949354,"title":"Balblair","created_at":"2021-09-28T10:53:19+01:00","body_html":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eBalblair is one of the oldest active distilleries in Scotland, having been originally founded in 1790 by John Ross. The Rosses are to the town of Edderton what the Beams are to \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/visitbardstown.com\/listings\/james-b-beam-distilling-co\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003eBardstown\u003c\/a\u003e, and half of the employees at Balblair having the surname Ross and two of them even called John (none are known to be direct descendants of the founder, and rather interestingly, none are known to be directly related to each other either).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eJohn Ross himself wrote an entry on 25\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e January 1790, which read \"Sale to David Kirkcaldy at Ardmore, one gallon of whisky at £1.8.0d.\" The distillery was operated by John Ross’s sons and grand sons until 1894, when it was sold and relocated about 1\/2 mile up the hill in order to, as the Victorian whisky writer Alfred Barnard noted, “get the benefit of gravitation working in the distillery… so no pumps are necessary.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/Distillery_-_01_1024x1024.jpg?v=1632822643\" alt=\"\"\u003eBy the late nineteenth century Edderton was known a the 'Parish of Peat' and Balblair would certainly have burned its fair share - the distillery was making three times the volume of nearby Glenmorangie at that time (it’s the other way around these days). No peat is present in Balblair nowadays, although in 2013 they did release a \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/whiskyauctioneer.com\/lot\/274258\/balblair-1990-single-ex-islay-cask-1463\"\u003e1990 vintage\u003c\/a\u003e that had spent some time in a Islay casks from Islay.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/Stills_-_01_1024x1024.jpg?v=1632822656\" alt=\"\"\u003eThe distillery is labyrinthine in its nature, with walkways emerging and disappearing here and there in an impossible Penrose staircase fashion. A single person can operate the entire distillery from the computer screen that was installed in 2011, outputting around 1.8 million litres of alcohol a year. About three-quarters of that goes to blends with almost all of the rest going in to Bourbon casks for maturation as malt. There are some ex-sherry casks knocking around too.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/Casks_-_01_1024x1024.jpg?v=1632822631\" alt=\"\"\u003eIf you're unable to visit Balblair but would like to see a little more of the distillery, be sure to watch the 2012 movie \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt1924394\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003eThe Angel’s Share\u003c\/a\u003e, which sees the co-conspirators and heroes of the movie siphon whisky from a sadly mythical ‘Malt Mill’ cask through the window of one of the Balblair warehouses.\u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":76389875882,"author":"Tristan Stephenson","user_id":71976517802,"published_at":"2021-10-08T08:30:00+01:00","updated_at":"2021-10-08T08:30:00+01:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"balblair","tags":"balblair, tag:distillery, tag:history, type:Distilleries","image":{"created_at":"2021-09-28T10:53:19+01:00","alt":"","width":1024,"height":682,"src":"\/\/whisky-me.com\/cdn\/shop\/articles\/Casks_2_-_01.jpg?v=1632822799"}}

{"id":556533481642,"title":"Glenkinchie","created_at":"2021-08-23T13:04:42+01:00","body_html":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003eGlenkinchie is only\u003c\/span\u003e a 30 minute drive from Edinburgh, during which you will see the gently undulating fertile farm land of the prosperous East Lothian countryside. This is barley country, and has been for two-thousand years. Some of the best cereals in the UK are still grown near Glenkinchie, Robert Burns once described the land of East Lothian as “the most glorious corn country I have ever seen.”\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eSome of the buildings at Glenkinchie date back to boom time period of the 1890’s, even though operations go back as far as 1825 when the land belonged to the Norman family, de Quincey - hence ‘Kinchie’. Besides the agriculture that no doubt made Glenkinchie a model of self-sufficiency, there’s reasons inside the distillery that warrant a special trip for a first timer too. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/5496384_Glenkinchie_0087_1024x1024.jpg?v=1629804978\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eGlenkinchie recently underwent a significant refurbishment and extension, creating an all new visitors centre. But it's the older parts of the distillery that we find more interesting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe old malting floors were decommissioned in the 1968 and have been tastefully converted in to a visitors museum, the only one of its kind that we know of, complete with not-at-all-miniature model of a working distillery filled with a small army of tiny workers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eFor the antique lovers out there, there's the fully intact Porteus grist elevator that was once used to transfer ground malt from the mill in to the mash tun. This particular beauty was even a feature when the great whisky writer Alfred Barnard visited the distillery in the 1880’s.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThere’s something here for the statisticians too: Glenkinchie has the largest wash still in all of Scotland, and weighing in at 30,963 litres. The still was actually replaced in 2008 at which point the whole roof needed to be removed and the new still lowered in by crane.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/124165_glenkinchie12_1024x1024.jpg?v=1629805039\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eDespite the typical double distillation process that takes place here, the gigantic proportions of the lantern shaped stills does mean greater copper contact, more reflux and a lighter, more Lowland-y spirit. However, this is tempered by a very steep descending lyne arm that sweeps volatiles down in to massive cast iron worm tub containing an unusual rectangular coil, as opposed to the standard tube configuration - which should please the worm tub fetishists as well.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eWhen all is said and done the new make at Glenkinchie is light and dry on the palate, yet pungent and sulphury on the nose. The sulphur acts like a reinforced safety blanket against the impending wooden onslaught, taking the brunt of the oak impact on the chin and then allowing the softer notes of the spirit to shine through as maturation drags on.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/5513697_Glenkinchie_0475_1024x1024.jpg?v=1629805067\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eOnly 250,000 bottles of Glenkinchie single malt are sold in a year and, given the fourteen 9 ton mashes that occur every week, along with the big stills, this means that the production quota for malt bottling for the year is completed in less than three weeks. That malt won’t see the light of day for at least another 12 years mind you. The rest will of course be used to fill quotas in one of Diageo’s many blends, where this Lowland malt tips the scale towards a lighter, more fragrant direction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eGlenkinchie Distillers Edition is matured for around 10 years in ex-bourbon casks before being transferred to ex-amontillado sherry casks for a further 2 years. This finishing process introduces soft, dried orchard fruits on to that sweet and grassy Glenkinchie canvass.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eWe think this whisky is awesome when paired with sweet things, like white chocolate, creme brûlée and vanilla ice cream!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/tasting_room_1024x1024.jpg?v=1629805093\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":76389875882,"author":"Tristan Stephenson","user_id":71976517802,"published_at":"2021-09-07T15:39:20+01:00","updated_at":"2021-09-07T15:39:20+01:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"glenkinchie","tags":"glenkinchie, lowland, Scotland, tag:distillery, tag:flavour, tag:history, type:Distilleries","image":{"created_at":"2021-08-24T12:38:21+01:00","alt":"","width":2160,"height":1440,"src":"\/\/whisky-me.com\/cdn\/shop\/articles\/CQ5A2879_copy.jpg?v=1629805101"}}

{"id":556533383338,"title":"The Lakes Distillery","created_at":"2021-08-23T12:46:37+01:00","body_html":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eAn astonishing 15 million people visit the Lake District every year, which makes it second only to London on the British tourism rankings in the UK. A distillery with visitors is a happy distillery and that makes The Lakes distillery very happy indeed. The site was formerly a collection of 160 year derelict farm buildings on the edge of the Bassenthwaite lake. Since its opening opening in 2011 it now employs over 70 people and has become a tourist attraction in its own right.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/Lakes-1_1024x1024.jpg?v=1630395467\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eManaging Director Paul Currie set up the Arran Distillery on the Isle of Arran back in 1995, correctly identifying the malt whisky boom that followed. With the Lakes he set his eye on making whisky in non-traditional areas, starting with the Lakes. Having said that, the Lake District isn't as unfamiliar with whisky as you might think.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe northern tip of the national park is only 40 minutes from the Scottish Border, and the whole area is full to the brim with old tales of smuggling contraband liquor up the 66 mile span of the River Derwent. The banks of the river (such as the one on which The Lakes Distillery sits) was once overrun with countless smuggling ‘stashes’ where mule and boat were said to meet. Trading was hotly territorial and violent disputes were endemic to the area. It’s a bit more peaceful around these parts today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/Lakes-2_1024x1024.jpg?v=1630395489\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eWhisky making at The Lakes Distillery is overseen by Dhavall Gandhi who monitors all areas of production, from the sourcing of malted barley right through to maturation. This is more unusual than you might think for a malt distillery (the norm is to have a few different people in charge of the various stages of production) but the benefits are obvious, as it allows Gandhi to affect every part of the whisky making process to fit his vision.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eGandhi uses an unpeated malt which is mashed with water from - yes, you guessed it - the Lake District National Park. This produces a clear wort which is then fermented with one of a few different yeast strains that each produce a uniquely fruity style of wash that is then blended ahead of distillation. Fermentation lasts around 96 hours, which is longer than the industry average and also helps to bolster that fruity flavour.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe spirit is twice distilled in copper pots in the Scottish style.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/Lakes-6_1024x1024.jpg?v=1630395573\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eMaturation here is done almost entirely in ex-sherry casks (around 80 - 90% of the barrels here are from Spain) which means even more fruit, whether it be oloroso, fino or Pedro Ximenez. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThere are exceptions however, which leads us nicely on to the whisky we are featuring this month - Whiskymaker's Edition Bal Masque (\"Masked Ball\").\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/Lakes-8_1024x1024.jpg?v=1630395516\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eBal Masque is a rich and spicy dram that, ahem, 'masks' its high strength (54%) well and offers a really unique kind of seductive fruitiness. This or born out of the casks used to make it, which are entirely French oak - some of them newly toasted (virgin) barrels, others previously home to red wine. We get rich, spiced plums, josticks and dried fruit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThis is the kind of whisky you want to enjoy in a sweat lodge in only your underwear. It's big, adventurous and almost transcendent!\u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":76389875882,"author":"Tristan Stephenson","user_id":71976517802,"published_at":"2021-09-07T15:38:54+01:00","updated_at":"2021-09-07T15:40:13+01:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"the-lakes-distillery","tags":"lakes distillery, tag:distillery, tag:flavour, tag:history, tag:maturation, tag:production, type:Distilleries","image":{"created_at":"2021-08-31T08:21:45+01:00","alt":"","width":3038,"height":1143,"src":"\/\/whisky-me.com\/cdn\/shop\/articles\/Lakes_Distillery_-_Image.jpg?v=1630394506"}}

{"id":556375703722,"title":"Sonoma Distilling Company","created_at":"2021-07-27T11:19:14+01:00","body_html":"\u003cp\u003eThe Sonoma Distilling Co. was founded by Adam Spiegel who, like many others, decided his New York finance job was a bit too unpredictable when the recession hit in 2008. He started making his own beer as a hobbie, which lead to making wine, which lead to grappa, which lead to whiskey. By 2009, he began to see the potential in what he was making and began working with a liquor lawyer in California to obtain a license to start a distillery.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/Sonoma_Distilling_Co._First_Distilling_-_michael_woolsey_2019-9037_1024x1024.jpg?v=1627381072\" alt=\"Adam Spiegel\" style=\"float: none;\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Sonoma Distilling Co. kicked in to action in February 2010, making it one of the first 200 new-wave distilleries in the U.S. (there are now over 2,000). The focus here is entirely on whiskey, which is more unusual than you might think as many American distilleries also try their hand at gins, vodkas and liqueurs too. Distillation is done in the Scottish style with double pot stills, which help to retain a great deal of flavour from the cereals.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/2665\/8218\/files\/Sonoma_Cherrywood_Rye_online_shop_1024x1024.jpg?v=1627381128\" alt=\"\" style=\"float: none;\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSonoma Cherrywood Rye is not, as the name might suggest, aged in cherrywood barrels, but rather the malted barley component of the mashbill is smoked with cherrywood chips. So what we're really looking at here is a slightly smoky rye whiskey. But wait! Isn't that cherry I can taste?! It sure is, but this is probably more a function of the rye grain itself (which commonly exhibits cherry-like flavours in the spirits it makes) rather than the smoke. However, if there is something to be said for using one type of wood over another, we reckon that cherrywood is probably the most appropriate for a rye.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo the final mashbill stands at 80% Rye, 10% Wheat, and 10% Cherrywood Smoked Malted Barley. The spirit is aged for a minimum of two years. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe love this whiskey, which has a bright orange characteristic to accompany notes of cherry, then baking spices like ginger and cinnamon. \u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":76389875882,"author":"Tristan Stephenson","user_id":71976517802,"published_at":"2021-08-09T00:00:01+01:00","updated_at":"2021-08-09T00:00:01+01:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"sonoma-distilling-company","tags":"tag:distillery, tag:production","image":{"created_at":"2021-07-27T11:19:14+01:00","alt":"","width":1800,"height":900,"src":"\/\/whisky-me.com\/cdn\/shop\/articles\/visitus.jpg?v=1627381154"}}

{"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":"\/\/whisky-me.com\/cdn\/shop\/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":"\/\/whisky-me.com\/cdn\/shop\/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":"\/\/whisky-me.com\/cdn\/shop\/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":"\/\/whisky-me.com\/cdn\/shop\/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":"\/\/whisky-me.com\/cdn\/shop\/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":"\/\/whisky-me.com\/cdn\/shop\/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":"\/\/whisky-me.com\/cdn\/shop\/articles\/Peat-Being-Smoked-700x461.jpg?v=1616593838"}}