Tag: Jim McEwan

Octomore Whisky (and Series 15)

Of the many whisky distilleries, brands, and names that make up the landscape of Islay, few are as storied or as enigmatic as Octomore. “The most heavily peated whisky in the world” is the tagline that invariably accompanies the name, and whilst that’s an easy feature or hook for the brand to hang its hat on, it has always struck me that it risks underselling the whisky. For there is so much more to appreciate about Octomore than its mere peating levels.

Octomore is not a whisky distillery. (At least, not anymore. The original Octomore distillery was in operation from 1816 to 1852.) It is one of three different styles or variants of whisky made at the Bruichladdich distillery on Islay. As such, the story of Octomore cannot be told without first telling the story of Bruichladdich.

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Bruichladdich 18yo & Bruichladdich 30yo

Of all the distilleries on Islay, Bruichladdich surely has the most interesting story to tell from the last 25 years.  Yes, much has been made of Ardbeg coming back from the dead, and its story is certainly compelling.  Bruichladdich’s story, however, has a bit more grit.  Its tale speaks more of hard work and toil; of sweat and determination by a small and dedicated team of personnel; of a community that rallied; and an operation that ran off the smell of an oily rag.  Many years later, it also speaks of reward.

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Cape Byron Whisky

Cape Byron whisky burst on to the Australian scene in late 2022 with the official unveiling of its inaugural single malt releases. Of course, the distillery had long been established by then and was already well known for its gins. But well before the newmake malt spirit was even filled into casks back in 2019, whisky enthusiasts in Australia and further afield were already aware of the distillery and knew what was coming. That’s a pretty unusual situation for an Australian distillery, but then it’s also pretty unusual for an Australian distillery to have one of the giants and legends of the Scotch whisky industry – Jim McEwan, no less – onboard as a consultant, distiller, and business partner. To understand that arrangement, you have to go back to the beginning…

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Listen to your whisky

For people being introduced to whisky, the textbooks and the brand ambassadors teach you that whisky engages your senses.  We look at the colour.  We smell the aroma.  We feel the mouthfeel and the texture in our mouth.  We taste the flavour.  These are things they tell you about when it comes to appreciating whisky.

That’s all good and well.  But when did you last actually listen to your whisky?

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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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