Anyone out there interested in coming up with an awesome logo for The Scotch Blog?
I can't pay, but I can promise you some nice schwag; some free promotion; and my undying gratitude. Maybe even a nice bottle of Scotch.
Contact me with your ideas and we'll go from there.
Professional designers only please.
I had been planning for some time to write a story about The Malt Project. If you are not familiar with The Malt Project it is a five (and soon to be six) volume DVD series all about Single Malt Scotch.
When I started corresponding with Jack Oswald, I found out that he was in the midst of completing production on the latest volume in the series.
I thought it would be great if Jack could tell us, in his own words, about The Malt Project and how it got started. Jack was happy to oblige, and here is the result...
At the end of each segment of this 2-parter there is a chance for one lucky reader to win an "I'm a Peat Freak! Are You?" t-shirt from The Malt Project.
On the Road with The Malt Project Part 1– by Jack Oswald
Seventeen days, seventeen hundred miles, 8 car ferry trips and 22 distilleries later, we arrived back in Phoenix with 16 hours of new high quality digital video for The Malt Project.
Continue reading "On the Road with The Malt Project - Part 1 " »
Dominic has left the building
Well, not really, but Dominic Roskrow IS stepping down as editor of Whisky Magazine. Dominic will still be contributing to Whisky Magazine, but plans to focus on consulting as well as opening a retail outlet.
Go West, Young Whisky Fest
Malt Advocate's Amy Westlake tells me that they've decided to set up a California-based Whisky Fest.
That's right, West Coasters will soon have a choice between two whisky expos. In addition to the current spring-time Whiskies of the World, residents and visitors to San Francisco now get a Fall Whisky Fest expo. But you'll have to wait a year, as the show doesn't kick-off until 2007.
Joep Van Drunen writes to tell me that Whiskybay has reached 250 users.
What is Whiskybay? Whiskybay is a whisky-auction site - think "eBay" for whisky collectors.
Joep tells us about Whiskybay:
The intention of Whiskybay is to get whisky-enthusiasts together to sell and buy for reasonable prices. In Germany there is whiskyauction.com. A good, but expensive site - you also need a credit card to join.
New graphic?
You may have noticed that the old The Scotch Blog graphic was reminiscent of a Balvenie label. It had always been my plan to occasionally swap out the graphic with other whisky labels. This weekend was the first chance I actually set aside some time to get around to it.
There's a story that goes along with the new graphic.
A few months ago, I told John Glaser (Compass Box Whisky) that he should name his next whisky "Coelacanth".
"Why?" said John.
"Because" I told him "Most people can't pronounce the name of your whiskies as it is - and this would just fit in."
What did I mean by that?
While I don't think John will ever use the name Coelacanth for one of his whiskies, if he does you'll know where the idea came from :). In the meantime, I mocked up what I thought a Coelacanth whisky label by Compass Box might look like. And that's the story.
By the way, a Coelacanth (pronounced "see-lah-canth") is a species of fish believed to have been extinct since the end of the Cretaceous period — until a live specimen turned up off
the east coast of South Africa in 1938. Today they can be found in the Comoros, Sulawesi (Indonesia), Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar and the St. Lucia Marine Protected Area in South Africa.
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Getting a free year's worth
A few months back, I told you that the majority of available Bruichladdich 10 year old is actually 12 years old.
Well, it turns out that Macallan 17 year old Fine Oak is actually an 18 year old. Rumor has it that it was believed that having two 18 year olds old on the market might cause some confusion. Calling it a 17 year old apparently alleviates the fear of confusion. I should also note that in Europe, it is marketed as an 18 year old.
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Another Malt Whisky t-shirt siting
Laager and Limehouse, is an online comic book. The characters in the comic book are usually rendered wearing t-shirts gathered from around the Internet.
It was pointed out to me that in one issue Bell, one of the main characters, was "wearing" one of the sold-out "Malt Whisky" t-shirts which I had produced to promote The Scotch Blog. The author of the comic sent me this "photo" of Bell.
On Friday June 22, 2006 Bruichladdich released the following press release
Mined over Matter
The Royal Navy's bomb disposal team have delivered a mine to a west coast distillery.
Some months ago Lieutenant Commander John Law and his elite Northern Diving Group were called out to deal with the small matter of a World War II mine found on a beach close to Bruichladdich distillery on the Isle of Islay.
Once the mine had been safely detonated, the team was invited by Bruichladdich Distillery Manager Duncan MacGillivray, a member of the Coastguard team in attendance, for a dram to ‘steady the nerves’.
“After the CIA, the Yellow Submarine – the Bomb Squad turning up at the distillery was all we needed” recalls Managing Director Mark Reynier, on seeing the Bomb Disposal convoy pull in to the courtyard.
“When I realised there was no danger of imminent disaster, I asked if we could have our very own mine in the distillery’s courtyard for fundraising - and the Northern Diving Group were only too happy to help us out.”
The giant Mk 17 World War II buoyant mine – provided by the mine team at the Defence Munitions Centre in Crombie – stands more than six feet tall including it’s sinker, weighs one tonne and is topped with some rather noticeable orange paint – making it really stand out from the crowd.
It has a collection box attached to the front to raise money for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution – a charity at the heart of the community of Islay, which is home to one of the west coast’s largest and busiest lifeboats.
Lieutenant Commander John Law, Warrant Officer Steve Strange and Australian Navy exchange diver Brad Eames attended the Bruichladdich Open Day during the 2006 Islay festival to deliver and formally present the mine.
“It’s actually great to be able to do something like this,” said John. “The RNLI is a most worthwhile cause, with its volunteer men and women risking their lives at sea around our coasts.
“The Northern Diving Group has been delighted to supply this mine which will hopefully raise loads of cash for the charity. We were made to feel incredibly welcome and will, no doubt, pop in next time we’re over on an emergency call out.”
Last year the distillery had a run-in with the Ministry of Defence over a special bottling “Bruichladdich’s Yellow Submarine”, an on-going reminder of the embarrassing incident concerning the loss of a mine-clearing submarine.
Some claim this mine, donated by the M.O.D, may not be disarmed after all…
Interestingly, I was at Bruichladdich when the mine was delivered (the day before Bruichladdich day) - I got to enjoy a celebratory dram with Mark Reynier, Simon Coughlin, Jim McEwan, Andrew Gray and the members of the bomb squad. I was also the first person to use the mine to make a donation to the RNLI. Pictures below.
Bruichladdich Distillery Academy Dates
I've selected Monday September 18th - 21st 2006 for the dates I'll be attending. The Islay Jazz Festival is taking place the weekend before (September 15-17).
The cost for staying at the Academy house over the weekend is just an additional £35 per person per night and includes breakfast, but you'll have to find your own evening meal.
For more information:
Bruichladdich Academy Site
Book your spot
Going to the Academy... (The Scotch Blog story)
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Jim Murray's Whisky Bible
Jim Murray's 2006 Whisky Bible is finally getting easier to find in the US. Except for in my house. After a search for my copy turned up nothing, it turned out that Elsa had claimed it for herself. (I swear this was NOT a posed picture).
For your own copy, purchase through DoceonPress.
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The Science & Technologies of Whiskies
Speaking of books on the subject of whisky, Dr. John Piggott (University of Strathclyde) let me know that The Science & Technologies of Whiskies is available once again through Amazon.co.uk after being out-of-print for some time. £53.69
World-wide contributors describe the whisky process in principal industrial practices where they were sufficiently widespread to be of general rather than purely national interest in order to provide an overview of the whisky industry around the world. The chapters cover the science and technology of whiskies from materials to the finished bottle ready for delivery to the consumer. Other secions deal with the cereals in common use, the process of malting and the operations for transforming the malted or unmalted cereal grains into a fermentable extract. Fermentation, distillation, techniques of process control in the distillery, maturation, practices of blending and bottling and it is here, in the blending stage that the differences between whisky processes around the world become most apparent. The final two chapters deal with issues of economic importance to the industry - energy management and by-product treatment and disposal.
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Tormore & The French Flag
I noticed that Tormore was proudly flying the Scottish national flag, along with a Pernod-Ricard logo flag. However, I was a little surprised to also see a French flag. I don't have a problem with this, but it seemed a little strange to me. Apart from considerations for the "Auld Alliance" does corporate nationalism really have a place in Scotch whisky?
I also wondered what the staff tells curious tourists.
I asked Neil Macdonald, the brand Director for Single Malts for Chivas Bros:
The flags are at all Pernod Ricard sites. Pernod Ricard is a long term supporter of Scotch whisky since 1974 and France is the world's biggest whisky market. Pernod Ricard has significantly grown its stake in Scotch both organically by dramatically increasing sales of brands like Aberlour, Clan Campbell, Chivas Regal and by acquisition and subsequent investment. Ultimately we fly the flags because we are proud of our French Parent Company and are delighted to tell visitors about it!
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Whisky101
A few months back I set up a new forum called Whisky101 for people to discuss whisky in a friendly open format.
Unfortunately the free software and hosting I was utilizing wasn't the best, and as a result the forum was unreliable.
Since I still own the Whisky101 URL, I decided to give it another shot. The forum is still available, but now Whisky101.com will take you to a list of excellent resources to "Learn More" about whisky - there's also a link to the forum - in case people are interested in getting it up and running again.
Right now the links are to Tony Dirksn's Radio Whisky and Mark Gillespie's WhiskyCast. recommendations for new links are welcome...
I'm back from Whisky Live London. (3/6/2006)
I have a dozen things swirling in my head, and I'm trying to re-adjust to U.S. time, but I just wanted to give you all an idea of what you can look forward to seeing here on The Scotch Blog in the next few weeks:
Neil MacDonald of Chivas Brothers was kind enough to give me a private tasting of the Glenlivet 1972 Cellar Collection. It will be introduced in the U.S. very soon. This one is quite nice and I'll have all the details for you.
We'll go international in the coming weeks as I discuss Penderyn, Mackmyra, and a new Irish Whiskey from the fine folks who brought you Grey Goose.
I'm planning something of a rant about how the whisky ratings are getting out of hand, and may be bad for the industry.
I'll also be examining the issue that the SWA has with Compass Box Whisky's Spice Tree.
We'll talk about the best way to attract new drinkers - and here's a hint, it's not making a new whisky cocktail.
Of course there's much, much more.
Let me just say that I had an awesome time at the Whisky Live London show. I got to chat with Michael Jackson again, meet Ian Wisniewski, talk about Amrut with David Broom, and share tasting notes on some Berry Bros. expressions with Martine Nouet.
I had a chat with Christine Logan, the erstwhile Bowmore employee, who was honoured as THE Ambassador of Whisky, by Whisky Magazine. Dominic Roskrow says it best: "Christine is Islay and its whiskies personified: happy, kooky, fun."
I got a chance to hang out with my newest drinking buddy, Mike Miller of Delilah's in Chicago - which was nominated as one of the best Whisky bars in the world.
I had dinner with luminaries from the Whisky purveying side - John Milroy of Milroy's fame, Sukhinder Singh of The Whisky Exchange, and Nadi Fiori - the King of Italian importers.
I got to kibbutz with Ronnie Cox (Glenrothes) and Martine Nouet as they discussed what promises to be a very entertaining and informative article they are co-authoring which will take a look at the effect of glass shape on the taste of a whisky. It was Ronnie who prompted me to write a story on the proper tasting glass.
Speaking of glasses, I got a chance to chat with Raymond Davidson, the man behind the Glencairn tasting glass.
Oh yeah, and yours truly got to spend some time as an "Associate Blender" and blend (under the watchful eye of John Glaser) the prototype for an upcoming Compass Box release. How cool is that?
And lastly, there were lots of women, a majority of them young. No, I don't mean it like that. I mean I was damned glad to see so many young women drinking whisky, asking questions, and enjoying themselves. The industry certainly needs more of that lot.
This will all be fodder for upcoming stories. Stay tuned!
It was about a month ago that the story about Strawberry Kiss whisky liqueur was making the rounds. I didn't make any mention of it at the time because frankly, I had nothing to add. The target market (young women) is an attractive potential growth segment for the industry as a whole, so why would I argue?
If you read the story, you also noticed that the Leith Liqueur Company prominently used Dr. Bill Lumsden's (Master Distiller, Glenmorangie) endorsement of Strawberry Kiss:
"I quite liked it and normally I don't have a penchant for sweet things like that. This drink isn't too sweet or cloying as I expected it might be when I saw the colour.
While the skeptical bastard in me might jump to the conclusion that Glenmorangie is the whisky part of the ingredient list, this isn't the
case. The unnamed single malt is apparently a 14-year-old Speysider (and not a 10-year-old Highlander). And if you've met Bill, you'll know he's an earnest and ardent promoter of good great whisky. I don't believe he'd give his support to crap.
The product got a lot of "air-play" from non-whisky focused sites such as Luxist, SlashFood and LiquorSnob. Not on the basis of taste, but on the basis of it's "pinkness". I can't blame anyone - it's an easy target - a pink, strawberry-flavored whisky aimed at "girls". And it's easier (and more fun) to make fun of pink whisky than it is to understand the concept of a whisky liqueur.
That's right - I want to reinforce that Strawberry Kiss is NOT classified as a whisky, but instead as a whisky liqueur. A liqueur is class of spirit that is produced by mixing or redistilling spirits with fruits, herbs, spices, and/or cream. Liqueurs are sometimes referred to as "Cordials" and often served as a digestif (after-dinner drink).
Whisky liqueurs are nothing new - Drambuie, Glayva, Columba, Atholl Brose, Heather Cream, Cock O' The North, Stag's Breath and Drumgray are all whisky liqueurs.
Glenfiddich, Old Puteney, Glenturret, Arran and Edradour have all released branded whisky liqueurs based on their malts.
No, whisky liqueurs are not the seventh sign of the whisky apocalypse. This one just happens to be pink. It's simply another way to enjoy whisky. And if it attracts a new type of whisky lover, then I'm all for it. I may even try it, given the opportunity.
Someone just let me know that I was nominated for one of the many random "blogging" awards.
It's at a site called The Accidental Hedonist under the category "Best Blog Covering Wine, Beer or Spirits."
Go check it out, if you think The Scotch Blog really is the best, vote for me; if not, vote for someone else. The other nominees are: Fermentation, A Good Beer Blog, Lenn Devours, & Vinography.
There are a number of other categories (mostly Food related) that you can vote for as well.
I'm sure there's no cash prize, so it's for bragging rights - but it's nice that someone thought enough of this site to nominate me. So thanks to whomever that was!
