For the fourth year in a row The Scotch Malt Whisky Society of America would like to extend discounted admission to the 2008 U.S. Single Malt & Scotch Whisky Extravaganza Tour for readers of The Scotch Blog.
That's right, Once again readers of The Scotch Blog pay the same admission price that members of the SMWS pay.
Read on for the schedule and how to get the discount:
Here's a good question, from regular reader Brendan H. which allows me to solicit the opinion of some friends...
Hey Kevin,
Another weird question for you, thinking as I kick a bottle of Cigar Malt.Does the alcohol content of my whisky decrease as I near the bottom of the bottle?
I ask this because (1) there seems to be less alcohol burn as I wind through the bottle and (2) because alcohol being a light, fairly volatile liquid, could be in vapor form at the top of the bottle and released when I remove the cork.
If so then it might seem wise to swish the whisky around the top of the bottle to recapture any vaporous alcohol before opening.Thanks for the science lesson.
Brendan
I responded to Brendan...
Theoretically, It COULD.
If it sits for a long time with a bad seal, the alcohol could evaporate...reducing the amount of Alcohol (by volume) in the liquid.
Once the alcohol has entered a gaseous state I don't think it will recombine with the liquid by swishing...
-Kevin
But I thought I'd ask for input from some of my industry friends...
Chris Morris, Master Distiller, Brown Forman
You are correct. Every time a bottle is opened, a drink poured out, and the bottle resealed you have created headspace. The headspace will be filled with evaporate.
Keep doing this and the ever increasing headspace will continue to sap the alcohol strength from the spirit (very small amount overall).
If you desire to return the alcohol vapor to the spirit you would have to chill the bottle to condense it. That of course is not standard storage procedure. I wouldn't worry about it.
-Chris
Dave Pickerell, Master Distiller, Maker's Mark
At the risk of being too technical ... here goes.
If the bottle is tightly sealed, only a relatively small amount of alcohol will evaporate ... and then an equilibrium condition will set up where alcohol evaporates and condenses at the same rate and the concentration of alcohol in the vapor state is constant throughout the space.... it will not stratify... The proof in the liquid will remain essentially unchanged. Even if the bottle is opened and partially consumed, and then tightly re-sealed, this same equilibrium will be achieved, and there will be essentially no proof reduction ... even as the liquid volume decreases. (Theoretically, there might be a minuscule proof reduction here, but I don't think you could notice it).
If the bottle is loosely closed ... or not capped at all ... The alcohol will continue to evaporate and will never reach an equilibrium because it will continue to escape from the open mouth of the bottle into the surrounding air space. Thus, the proof will continue to drop. This also explains why a non-chill filtered whisky bottled at a proof of 86 or greater will eventually cloud up if left for a long time with the cap off or the seal loose. When the product reaches a proof below 86, a chill haze begins to develop, because some of the components become insoluble in alcohol and water mixtures below 86 proof ... This haze can be anything from a little cloudy to something akin to river mud.
Mark Reynier, Bruichladdich
When reducing to obtain the desired 46% vol that we like to bottle at, it is notoriously difficult to arrive at the precise figure because the alcohol strength (in bulk) and at cask strength is so volatile. We have a legal 0.1 variance and a matter of 60 minutes is enough to reduce the strength by 01 or more.
Therefore, even at a reduced volume (a bottle) and strength - and with exposure to air, I imagine that the strength would fall . . . albeit at a stultifyingly slow rate.
The reduced alcohol burn referred to is probably reduced by the rasping cigar smoke in the throat.
Mark
Ian Millar, Glenfiddich
First off, why would you have a bottle open so long this could happen??? THAT wouldn't happen in Scotland!
Secondly, yes - you could lose something in evaporation and the rate of loss would relate to the temperature of the room and was the bottle in direct sunlight or indeed artificial light.
(Never take a chance - store the bottle in a cool dark place, open with good friends and devour with joy).
All the best
Ian
Traverso's Private Scotch Whisky Cask now available.
Cask # 685
11 years Old
750 ML
92 proof
Distilled on February 15, 1996
Personally tasted and hand-selected at Glenfarclas Distillery on March 23, 2007.
Bottled on July 18, 2007
$59.95 each, or 3 bottle special $149.95 + tax
Michael Traverso's Tasting Notes
It was a cool March morning. The wind was coming from the North and rain was beginning to fall as we drove along the river Spey enroute to Glenfarclas Distillery. After an early lunch of venison sausage and local beer, we began to taste from the casks. One after one...the decision was very difficult. But then...Cask #685 presented itself...like and old friend. This was the one! It clearly stood out as the winner. We selected this cask for its rich flavor and smooth finish. This is a fine malt that can be enjoyed and appreciated by the Scotch connoisseur or novice. Notes of leather, tobacco, and hints of caramel on the nose. Palate flavors dominated by expressions Oloroso Sherry and underlying hints of maple. Little to no peat. Only 306 bottles available.
We can ship to you or hold for pick-up.
Contact us today:
www.traversos.com
707-542-2530
877-456-7616 toll-free
This is not a paid promotion for either Traverso's or Glenfarclas.
"We are chuffed to bits! This means more to us than any of the other industry bollocks. Great showing from Islay and the independents too. And I would like to thank our customers, followers, shareholders, bank manager etc. etc."
Mark Reynier
Bruichladdich - Distiller/Blender/Independent Bottler of the Year
Thank you! We are absolutely delighted with the award!
We only have enough to last till the close of 2009 so I recommend everyone stocks up on it as I am doing!
Davinia Small
Ardbeg - Best New Product (whisky) (Ardbeg Airigh Nam Beist)
"That is really terrific and I am really surprised that our Glasgow amnesty reached across the pond.
I will pass on the news to the team who will be delighted."
Jason Craig
Highland Park - Best Packaging/ Marketing Campaign
Cheers Kevin, keep up all the good work, and thanks to Everyone who voted for Glenfarclas all the support is much appreciated.
Bring on the 2008 Drammies!!!
George Grant
Glenfarclas - Most under-rated-whisky
This is great news! Thanks very much
John Glaser
Compass Box - Most Innovative New Product (Canto Series)
Will Lyons recently had a chance to sit down with Ian Curle, Chief Executive of The Edrington Group.
Edrington produces such well-known favorites as Highland Park, Macallan & The Famous Grouse. They recently acquired a large stake in Brugal - a little known Rum from The Dominican Republic.
I had a chance to visit Brugal in 2003, and it became my favorite Rum on the spot. Unfortunately it's not easy to get here in the US... but it's worth finding. With the backing of Edrington, it could give Bacardi a run for it's money - it's delicious, priced well, and head and shoulders in taste and quality over the ubiquitous Bacardi line.
Interview: Ian Curle: It was a rum thing to learn Spanish
by William Lyons
Read Will Lyons online: www.scotsman.com/wine
FOR the past three years Ian Curle has been keeping a secret close to his chest. Once a month, sometimes more often, he would board the British Airways lunchtime flight to Miami. To the outside world the chief executive of Edrington, one of Scotland's largest whisky makers, was doing nothing more than paying a routine visit to a key market.
The reality was somewhat different. After arriving in the Florida sunshine Curle would board a second flight to Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic, where he would meet his finance director Richard Hunter and his company secretary Martin Cooke, who flew in via New York. The purpose of these clandestine visits was made clear last Wednesday when Curle announced that he had spent GBP 200m acquiring a majority stake of just over 60 per cent in Brugal, the largest rum brand in the Caribbean. Such was the secrecy surrounding the talks that nobody was aware that Hunter and Cooke had both learned Spanish in order to conduct the negotiations.
"We had to keep it very quiet," says Curle, fresh off a flight from Madrid where he has been in discussions with his distribution company Maxxium to build the brand across Europe.
Wow.
What an interesting award season THIS has been.
We've had quite a bit of over-exuberance regarding the awards.
And the winners don't even get a cool statuette! Just the knowledge that a world-wide audience of thousands of whisky lovers had the chance to nominate and select the winners.
You've likely read here and in all of the UK papers regarding an unfortunate incident. But never fear, the awards come off untarnished...as do the nominees.
One significant point of order on voting and how votes were counted.
We looked VERY closely at all of the votes - and anything that so much as hinted of impropriety was disregarded.
What was worthy of being disregarded?
The Drammies were created to be, above all, a "People's Choice" award and to try to disregard the influence that the industry has over the spirits writers and periodicals that generally grant the awards that get touted.
No fees here. Only nominations for the more interesting things out there, and awards for (hopefully) the most deserving products.
I've also included some of the more entertaining/insightful quotes that accompanied some of the votes.
So without further ado, your winners...
Continue reading "And now...the winners of the 2007 Drammies" »
Of course the Road to the Drammies would not be complete without me adding my $0.02, would it?
And to prove that the Drammies really are selected by the Scotch Blog readership, you'll see, once the winners are announced, that I did not completely agree with the voter-ship. Heck, there were some nominees that I think were missed!
Producers, feel free to take my comments and plaster them all over your ads :)
My ‘picks’ for The Drammies
Kevin Erskine
Best Packaging/Marketing Campaign
Highland Park 18 "Whisky Amnesty" at Glasgow, Whisky Live
I'm a big fan of the Maker's Mark Ambassador program (I'm also a participant), it's simply the best ongoing affinity program in the whisky world today. But the Whisky Amnesty was an inspired marketing stunt, and one that's sure to be copied.
Bang for the Buck
Forty Creek
I love me some Laphroaig, but the QC is slightly too high in price to fit into my personal definition of "Bang for the Buck". I've never met a Glenfarclas I didn't like. Benromach Traditional is damned fine stuff and a great price. Black Bottle is pretty darned good - and the 10 year old (my preferred of the 2) is still a great value (even here in America). And I love Bulleit Bourbon.
But for cost vs. bang, flavor, and whatever other measure you want to apply, Forty Creek walks away with the award (in my book)...
The Third in our series of "Guest Picks" for the Drammies, Serge Valentin, of Whisky Fun & Malt Maniac.
Fun with The Drammies
Serge Valentin
Most Innovative New Product
Compass Box Canto Series
Experimentation that’s not only for the sake of experimentation or
easy-easy range widening. Oh, and because of the heavy use of Clynelish.
Best New Product (whisky)
Glenfarclas Family Casks.
Indeed, despite the prices of the younger versions. They could do it and they did it. Ah, the 1960 and the 1965...
Best New Product (Non-whisky)
The Legend of Laphroaig
Fabulous book by Marcel van Gils and Hans Offringa. There should be such books about every distillery in Scotland.
Most under-rated-whisky
Glenugie (but Glenugie was closed in 1983). Otherwise, young Clynelishes.
Worst Marketing Campaign
Anything bling bling aimed at Russian oligarchs or Chinese IT wizards -
and while the stock markets plunge. By the way, ever saw Petrus or
Cheval Blanc in fancy bottles? (and
mahogany-leather-crystal-pewter-whatever?) Shared between The Macallan
55yo Lalique, Ardbeg’s Double Barrel and The Dalmore’s 60plus bottles.
The second in our series of "Guest Picks" for the Drammies, Sam Simmons, aka Dr. Whisky...
The Drammies according to Dr. Whisky
Sam Simmons
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.
The polls are now closed and the votes are being tabulated.
While we wait for the results, I thought I'd get some friends to pick THEIR choices for a Drammy in each category.
First up: Ian Buxton
My ‘picks’ for The Drammies
Ian Buxton
Well, the Whisky Writers Union hasn’t declared a strike. The Oscars may be under threat but the big one carries on. Yes, The Drammies are with us once again and Kevin asked me for my ‘picks’. I have no idea which way the voting has gone but, if it were up to me, these babies would come out on top:
Best Packaging
Highland Park 18 "Whisky Amnesty" at Glasgow, Whisky Live
There were some nice things here – I really liked the Port Charlotte tins, for example – but if you had seen the queue of excited whisky fans at the Highland Park stand you’d know this was THE winner. Tough to think of something genuinely new but the HP boys did it.
Bang for the Buck
Black Bottle
Black Bottle is consistently under-rated. I would pick Glenfarclas but I’ve got a bigger win in mind for them!
