Category: Events

An afternoon with Colin Scott (Master Blender for Chivas Bros)

It’s not every day you get the chance to meet with and listen to a Master Blender, so when the good folks at Pernod Ricard Australia hosted an afternoon with Colin Scott recently, I was happy to accept their kind invitation.

I’ve actually spent a bit of time with some other Master Blenders: Richard Patterson of Whyte & Mackay; Tom Smith of Johnnie Walker; Robert Hicks of Teachers/Laphroaig/ Ardmore/Glendronach; Iain McCallum of Morrison Bowmore; Brian Kinsman of William Grant & Sons; and then other whisky creators like Jim McEwan (Bowmore/Bruichladdich) and Bill Lumsden (Glenmorangie/Ardbeg).   I’ve also had a few decent attempts at blending myself, having undertaken some formal blending sessions both in Scotland and here in Australia.  (And whilst my “attempts” have been decent, my results have been very indecent!)

What I’ve learned from these people and experiences is that (a) blending is incredibly difficult, and (b) the people who do it commit to a lifetime of learning and application. Colin Scott is no different.

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SMWS Jim McEwan & Bruichladdich Masterclass

On 1st October, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (Australia) held a very special SMWS / Bruichladdich / Jim McEwan masterclass.

It’s hard to write an objective, even a subjective review of a tasting event when you’re one of the co-hosts and facilitators of the event.  However, this was a fantastic evening, with so much whisky love in the air, and so one can’t help but give some account of the evening.  So forgive me if it comes across as a little biased…..

Jim McEwan, industry legend, is currently on a promotional tour across Australia to share the Bruichladdich story with whisky drinkers.  Trade and open-to-the-public tastings have been organised in most of the capital cities, and the Australian distributor, South Trade, has got Jim on an incredibly busy schedule, with up to three or four events each day for the next two weeks.  And Jim wouldn’t have it any other way.

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Glenfiddich Excellence 26yo

There are many things to like about William Grant & Sons and their whiskies.  One of the things I particularly like is that when they decide to do something, they do it well:   Can they make a classic, approachable Speyside whisky that has broad, mass appeal?  Check.  Can they make a rare, special release whisky that services the luxury end of the market whilst still delivering a sublime experience for the tastebuds and which justifies the higher retail price?  Check.  Can they put on a great event to showcase and launch this new expression?  Double check.

Tuesday 23rd September saw the launch of the new Glenfiddich Excellence 26yo expression in Australia.  Held at the elegant and ye-olde-world-charm Elizabeth Bay House in Sydney, the evening unveiled not just the new whisky, but also an incredible photography exhibition that captured and reflected the journey of the wood and the casks that contributed to the whisky.

Any whisky brand ambassador or even the typical whisky packaging that wraps most bottles will make a point of talking up the whisky’s “pure, soft water”; it will play on how they used only the “finest Scottish barley”; and they will give a nod to the “long and careful maturation in oak casks”.   But how often do we actually think about the casks?  Not just the fact that they sat in a warehouse for 26 years, but what about their life prior to that?  For example, the cask’s previous life where it sat in Kentucky maturing bourbon?  What about transporting it to Scotland for the second phase of its life?  Or what about the simple fact that it came from a tree in the US mountain ranges and was felled, quartered, and allowed to season before the coopers got their hands on it in the first place?

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Balvenie 14yo Caribbean Cask

Monday 28th July saw the official launch of the eagerly anticipated Balvenie 14yo Caribbean Cask expression in Australia.  Held at The Cuban Place / Parke Davis bar in York Street, Sydney, it saw a gathering of the usual suspects to enjoy what William Grant & Sons Australia do best:  Putting on a great whisky event.

Entering the venue, one was greeted immediately by a musical duo playing an intriguing & entertaining mix of songs on an electric guitar and a steel kettle drum!   But before you could quite work out whether you were hearing ABBA or La Bamba, the inimitable James Buntin, Balvenie Ambassador, was there to offer you a dram or a cocktail.  The cocktails – creations of the talented Dick Blanchard – were stylish, attractive, and…it must be said…dangerously more-ish.  But when you walk in the door and you’re handed a glass of Balvenie 21yo within two minutes of arriving, you know you’re at a good event.  The Doublewood 12yo & 17yo expressions were also on hand to try, making for a wonderful spectrum of Balvenie goodness.

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SMWS Whisky Dinner with Franz Scheurer & Brent Savage

Whisky dinners are a dime a dozen these days.

Actually, that’s not true…I concede they’re not that frequent, and they definitely cost more than a dime.  However, where they often become tiresome is that they are usually just no more than a regular dinner with some whiskies thrown into the equation – rarely with much thought (or expertise) being applied to match the two.

Anyone can match a whisky to a dish.  It’s relatively easy to taste a dish and then reach for your nearest whisky that vaguely shares commonalities.  The classics get wheeled out all the time – smoked salmon with Talisker; venison with Glenmorangie; Ardbeg with dark chocolate; etc.  Yawn.

Where real skill lies is to actually match the food to the whisky.  Did you catch the distinction?  Who out there can taste a whisky, and then go off and create or re-shape a dish that is built around the whisky’s flavours; builds or contrasts against the malt’s texture, depth, and alcohol; and then – most amazingly of all – create a pairing where the whisky improves the dish, and the dish improves the whisky?   I know of only one man who can do this.  And his name is Franz Scheurer. Continue reading “SMWS Whisky Dinner with Franz Scheurer & Brent Savage”