Category: Reviews

Reviews of whiskies

When Irish eyes are Teeling

Looking for the origin story about Teeling Whiskey?  Below is the piece we wrote at the start of 2015, which still holds up…

Whilst the Scotch whisky industry continues to bubble along and keep everyone moderately happy as long as we’ve all got a filled Glencairn in our hand, the real gossip and excitement in the whisk(e)y community right now seems to be with what’s happening in other countries.

The recent media storm over Jim Murray’s latest edition of his Whisky Bible got everyone talking about Japanese whisky, and similar waves went around the globe when Australia’s Sullivan’s Cove was awarded best whisky in the world by Whisky Magazine last year.  And whisky brands like Kavalan (Taiwan), Mackmyra (Sweden), and Paul John or Amrut (India) continue to make the transition from being a modest curiosity to players with major followings, reach and – more critically – quality product.

And so, with all sectors of the whisky industry in growth and development, it’s no surprise that Irish whiskey is also making waves and changing the landscape.  Consider the following recent events:

  • Irish whiskey has been identified as the fastest growing distilled spirit category in the world. That means its growth is outpacing bourbon, vodka, tequila, Scotch, brandy, and so on.
  • Cooley Distillery, Ireland’s only independent distillery (at the time) was sold to Beam Inc. in 2011.
  • Diageo sold Bushmills Distillery to tequila giant Casa Cuervo in 2014.
  • William Grant & Sons purchased the Tullamore Dew brand in 2010, and last year completed the construction of a massive new distillery at Tullamore
  • Former Bruichladdich leader, Mark Reynier, recently announced his next venture would be a new Irish whiskey distillery in Waterford.
  • In 2013, there were just four operating whiskey distilleries in Ireland. The Irish Spirits Association expects this number to grow to 15 in the next few years.

While the decline of the Irish whiskey industry in the 20th century and the reasons for it are well documented, its recent growth and renaissance is truly something worth celebrating.  And all the more so, when both independence and tradition team up and jump out of the page.  And that, ladies and gents, is where Teeling Whiskey fits in.

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Some special drams from the house of William Grant & Sons

It’s no secret that I’m a fan of William Grant & Sons.  As I’ve penned in numerous articles and blog posts previously, it’s not just their whiskies, but also their people, and how they move & operate in the whisky world.   Courtesy of the good folks at WG&S Australia (thanks Mark, Laura & Richard), I recently experienced yet another great example of this.

Ludo Ducrocq would be known to many whisky drinkers around the world as one of the most knowledgeable, likeable and agreeable brand ambassadors.  Ludo started out as a distillery tour guide for William Grant & Sons, but his passion for whisky and his love for telling other people about it quickly saw him move into more ambassadorial roles.  In 2009, he was appointed as Grants’ first Global Ambassador (for the Grants’ range of blended whiskies), and today works with the title of “Head of Brand Ambassador Advocacy”.  In other words, he’s the Brand Ambassador to the Brand Ambassadors!

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Benromach Distillery – Speyside’s little jewel

Benromach distillery isn’t one of the most widely known or seen single malts.  But that’s changing.  And fast…

Benromach is one of the very few distilleries to have a happy ending after the misery of the industry-wide distillery closures in the mid-1980’s.  Originally founded in 1898, by 1983 Benromach was part of the DCL (today’s Diageo) and it was one of eight distilleries closed down by DCL that year as a result of the downturn and economic woes of the time.   Of those eight DCL distilleries that closed that year, Benromach is the only one to remain alive and operating today.  The other seven are lost forever, including Dallas Dhu, which is now a museum.  But, of course, a bit of action played out in the meantime…

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Balvenie Tun 1509

The Balvenie continues to go from strength to strength as owners, William Grant & Sons, continue to showcase their wares.     As someone who’s both watched and even participated in the growth of their brands in Australia over the last 15 years or so (in a former life, I presented a couple of Glenfiddich & Balvenie tasting events for the local distributor at the time), it’s been fascinating to see the brands take on even more depth and gain traction in the local market, now that WG&S have their own Australian operation.  The recent launch of the Balvenie Tun 1509 raise the bar further…

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An Evening with Glengoyne

The first time I tasted Glengoyne single malt was on the 14th of May, 2003.   How do I remember that?  Simple. Because it was one of the best drams I’ve ever had.  Eleven and a half years later, and – quite literally – thousands of whiskies later, that bottling of Glengoyne still features high up on the shelves of my memory bank.   Mind you, it was no ordinary Glengoyne – it was a 1971 vintage OB release; a single cask, bottled as a 27yo, Cask #4855.   T’was one of the all-time greats, and from a period in the late 1990’s when Glengoyne put out a series of single cask bottlings that blew most of the competition away.  But the point is, first impressions go a long way, and I’ve remained good friends with Glengoyne ever since, also visiting the distillery in 2011.

Whisky & Wisdom recently attended a Glengoyne vertical tasting, courtesy of the new Dan Murphy’s store in Double Bay, Sydney, which – it must be said – features an impressive whisky section.  (I say section, although department might be a more apt description).  The event was held at The Woolloomooloo Bay Hotel, and was hosted by Daniel Millhouse of Dan Murphy’s and the ever affable and enthusiastic Philip Mack.  Philip is not an official Glengoyne brand ambassador, but certainly should be, based on the night’s presentation.

It had been some time since Whisky & Wisdom had tackled the Glengoyne portfolio in a single sitting (the last time was at the distillery back in 2011).  It’s often said that a whisky always tastes best at its source, but even with the bias and romance of tasting the whiskies at the actual distillery that day, on tonight’s evidence, it is apparent that Glengoyne has lifted the quality bar higher in the last few years.

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Label 5 – Gold Heritage

As someone who is firmly entrenched (and ensconced) in the world of malt, I don’t concern myself too readily or seriously with blended whisky.  But don’t misread that last sentence.  By the same token, I make a fairly concerted effort to ensure I don’t fall into the trap of being a malt snob, or dismissing blends without giving them due regard.   There are some tremendous blended whiskies out there, and it would be both arrogant and folly to write off an entire category of whisky, simply because one’s tastebuds have developed beyond the likes of Vat 69 or 100 Pipers.  So, when the good folks at La Martiniquaise in France offered to send me a bottle of their newly released Label 5 “Gold Heritage”, I felt obliged to give it a fair hearing…

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Glenmorangie “The Taghta”

The latest (and very special) release from Glenmorangie had its first Australian outing on 17th October when Glenmorangie Taghta was showcased as the Welcome Dram at the Spring Tasting of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society in Sydney.

As attendees entered the room for the tasting evening, they were handed a dram of this deliciously-amber looking whisky, but were not told what it was. A short while later during the official welcome and introduction for the night, a quick straw poll was taken with the question, “Who liked this whisky?”   Every hand in the room went up, and it was then that its identity and story was told.

Glenmorangie Taghta (pronounced too-tah) is being billed as a crowd-sourced whisky.   It’s not all too dissimilar to what Glenlivet did with their Guardian’s release late last year.  The difference on this occasion is that the crowd (the so-called “Cask Masters”) came from 30 different countries and participated in every part of the process: The bottle design, the labelling, the photography, and – most importantly of all – the selection of the whisky.

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Glenfiddich vs Glenlivet – who will win the heavyweight title bout?

It’s a classic question that many whisky drinkers ponder:  Which is better…Glenfiddich or Glenlivet?  It’s also a great question, because if someone were to ask you, “What does a Speyside whisky taste like?”, then pouring a dram of either Glenlivet or Glenlivet would answer their question pretty nicely.

Both exhibit that classic Speyside style of being grassy, floral, sweet and malty, with that little extra “zing” for good measure. With Glenfiddich, the zing comes in the form of pear drops, whilst Glenlivet, for me, has a wee hint of citrus tang.  Both drams are textbook examples of Speyside whisky.

Depending on your age, and certainly if you were introduced to malt whisky prior to the 2000’s, then there’s a very good chance that one of these two whiskies was probably your first ever single malt.

The two brands are giants of the industry and mutually respected (and respectful) competitors on the playing field. Glenlivet is the single malt flagship of Pernod Ricard (via its subsidiary, Chivas Bros), whilst Glenfiddich remains one of the last bastions of independent, family ownership, being the bedrock of William Grant & Sons.   Both brands command significant market share. The Glenlivet has been the biggest selling single malt in the USA for years, whereas Glenfiddich can boast the global title of being the biggest selling single malt in the world.

As these two heavyweights front up to do battle, let’s compare their credentials and get ready to rumble… Continue reading “Glenfiddich vs Glenlivet – who will win the heavyweight title bout?”

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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Ardbeg Supernova – 2014 release

Many whisky commentators today make reference to cult whiskies or distilleries with cult followings. As best as I can tell, such references really didn’t exist until 1997. Then Ardbeg was reborn.

Ardbeg has a weight, a brand, a persona, that is bigger than itself. It has a reputation for huge, bold, peaty whiskies, and its name travels so far and with such reverence that you could be forgiven for thinking it’s the biggest distillery on Islay. In truth, it’s actually one of the smaller ones. With just one pair of stills churning away, its potential annual production capacity is just a tick over 1.1 million litres.  But as we all know, size doesn’t matter.  It’s what you do with it that counts…

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