Tag: Blend

Unknown heroes of the whisky industry

When was the last time you poured yourself a healthy dram of Braeval?  Or had a good swig of Miltonduff?  How about a Glenburgie?  Or an Allt-a-Bhainne?   An Auchroisk?  Dufftown perhaps?  Have you even heard of these whisky distilleries, let alone seen a bottle of their whisky at your local liquor retailer?

What about Ardbeg?  Oban?  Bruichladdich?  These names are more familiar, yes?  And, chances are, you’ve had a dram of their product more than once or twice on your malt journey.

The irony here is that the first group listed above are some of the biggest distilleries in Scotland.  And the second group are amongst the smallest.   There’s a cliched conclusion here that you might have heard before:  Size doesn’t matter, it’s what you do with it that counts!

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Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch series: Red Rye Finish

If there’s one word to describe the Scotch whisky industry right now it’s diversity. When it comes to expressions available, new releases, and new flavours/styles being developed and marketed, diversity is the name of the game at present.

Of course, amongst the community of whisky drinkers, most of these diverse pursuits focus on the single malt category, but neither can the blends afford to be caught standing still. In this respect, the Johnnie Walker stable has been growing and expanding significantly.  If you thought the Johnnie Walker range consisted of Red, Black, Green, Gold, and Blue Label, then you’ve not kept up with the times.

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Johnnie Walker Select Casks – Rye Cask Finish

Keen to learn more about Johnnie Walker’s Select Casks range and the new Rye Cask Finish?  Read on…

Keen observers of the malt whisky industry will have noted the kaleidoscope of ever-expanding and diversifying product portfolios amongst the various brands.   The days of a distillery featuring just a 12yo and an 18yo bottling are long gone…today it is de rigueur for serious distilleries to offer an entry-level NAS, a peated NAS, a 10yo with a wood finish, a 12yo, a 14yo port wood, a 15yo cask-strength, an 18yo sherry wood, a 21yo, a 25yo that no one can afford, and finally a release with a fancy gaelic name that will be mispronounced around the world.

Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing is subjective, and there are pros and cons on both sides of the argument.  The marketing departments argue that they need more bottles on the shelf of liquor stores and bars so that the brand stands out.  It also gives the warehouses and blenders flexibility with stock.  And, for the consumer, the range of choice, variance, and price points forever increases.  My personal view is that the industry is self-generating a consumer base that becomes increasingly fickle and with a shorter and shorter attention span, but that’s a piece for another day.

In the meantime, it’s been interesting to observe that the same pressures and marketing ideals have extended to the blends.  Even the most traditional blends are having to come out with variations and new expressions to maintain interest and keep up with the Joneses.  Or, in this case, the Johnnies.

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Are you a whisky snob?

Are you a whisky snob?  More critically, have you ever accused someone of being a whisky snob?  If you’re in either camp – particularly the latter – you need to read on…

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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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Chivas Regal Extra

As someone who’s more known for championing the cause of single malt, it’s very rare for me to pour myself a blended whisky, let alone to then sit down and ponder it for half an hour or so.  It’s even rarer for me to subsequently then make some tasting notes and to give a blend a write up.   But, sometimes, you just can’t turn your back on a good whisky…

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