Road to the Drammies: Sam's Picks
The second in our series of "Guest Picks" for the Drammies, Sam Simmons, aka Dr. Whisky...
The Drammies according to Dr. Whisky
Sam Simmons
BUT, asked Kevin Erskine, if the world was a perfect totalitarian whisky-soaked dream and I was its dictator (or author of works I thought so holy I called them Bibles), who would I deem to be worthy to win these awards?
Bang for the Buck
Forty Creek Barrel Select
A difficult category this year with 5 excellent whiskies that are
affordable AND delicious. But like Mussolini favoured the North and let the south starve or die in senseless war in Ethiopia, I support a Canadian. Resourceful, affordable, and tasty!
Distiller/Blender/Independent Bottler of the Year
Single Malts of Scotland
Another challenging category because the bundling of distiller, blender and indie is a contentious one. They all do different things so really, how can they be evaluated as competitors? Easily. Like Suharto did in Indonesia, with an Iron Fist. What other bottler released a drinkable Tobermory(1995, £30)? a 30 year old Glenlivet that was tasty, sherried, and only £65? one of the best Clynelishes to ever pass the lips of this Clynelish lover (1972, £110)? No one. And if they did, I would imprison, squash, or stone them.
Most Innovative New Product
Compass Box Canto Series
It
might be becoming cliché for John Glaser and the crew at Compass Box to
seemingly win every innovation award out there, but in Whiskistan we
resist change while in the real world they wholly deserve every
accolade. Glaser's idea is simultaneously artistic/poetic and
incredibly risky. The SWA minds his practices quite closely and he
carefully walks that fine line pushing the boundaries of "traditional"
whisky making. And how many experiments fail? How many stanzas were
beyond editing and had to be binned? At what cost? This spirit of
adventure is currently only matched by the likes of indies
Bruichladdich, BenRiach, or Duncan Taylor(conveniently, all nominated
as well). In the poetic spirit of Saddam Hussein who confessed to his
lawyer, "I didn't have time to write poetry before, but now I have had
the time to become a poet." Do I smell Pulitzer? TS Eliot prize, anyone?
Best New Product (whisky)
Glenfarclas Family Casks.
Another
category with excellent nominations, but unfortunately "sometimes
democracy must be bathed in blood" (A. Pinochet). Much more than simple
vintage bottlings, Glenfarclas Family Casks are monumental in
chronicling three generations of one distilling family. No, these
puppies aren't cheap, but how would you put a price on that old
tattered and treasured picture of you and your great-grandmother?
Best New Product (Non-whisky)
I think you know the answer to this...
The Whisky Channel is a great idea but needs time to grow before we know if it's the best anything,
John Hansell's blog is always interesting but is really just an extra
editorial e-page of the Malt Advocate magazine, so the only real
competitor is van Gils and Offringa's The Legend of Laphroaig... which I have not yet finished. A real nail-biter, though. How will it end? For now, Dr. Whisky remains my daily cuppa.
Most under-rated-whisky
Sheep Dip
Another
excellent category with 5 worthy nominees. So, what would give a
nominee the extra cred here is not just being under-rated, but being
bad-mouthed. Nobody is critical of Glenfarclas or Dalmore. Everyone who
tries Amrut is pleasantly surprised, and Arran, not yet even a
teenager, is still too young to pick on. Sheep Dip has a nickname
(Sheep Shit) that I have actually heard used by whisky retailers and
has never deserved it. Now with a new recipe from Richard Paterson, new
labelling (bye-bye yellow and brown!), the darling project of darling
people Jane and Alex (Spencerfield Spirit Co.) deserves recognition as
flavoursome, good value Scotch whisky.
In this Dr. Whiskitopia I am uncomfortable evaluating marketing. The Drammies should be concerned with content and maybe packaging. Nonetheless...
Best Marketing Campaign
Glenfiddich,: Every Year Counts
I know it was not nominated for BEST (it was nominated for WORST), but I
think it is one of the best ads for whisky I have seen cuz they are ads
for much more than one brand, they are ads for WHISKY. They try to
convey the enigmatic phenomenon so misunderstood with Scotch whisky,
the age and value ratio that makes JJ Abrams and LOST live a fantasy
world where you can order 50 year old whisky from behind a local bar
(let alone having polar bears on a tropical island). The campaign
celebrates skill and craftsmanship in ways to which viewers can
(hopefully) relate: learning a musical instrument, dancing tango, being
an artist/sculptor, etc. Yes, they are ads for Glenfiddich, but they
promote ideas central to ALL whisky appreciation and the appreciation
of ALL whiskies.
Worst Marketing Campaign
Canadian Club
Yes, it is misogynist and insulting to women and
men. And fashion. But the logic is also fundamentally flawed, at least
from my perspective. If I wanted to drink what my dad drank I would be
sipping a hot cup of Postum on a "wild night" and Manischewitz on
Friday nights.
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