Category Archives: Anecdotes & Rambles
Whisky Round Table – April 2012
This month’s Whisky Round Table is hosted by my friend Gal Granov on WhiskyIsrael and looks at the fledgling practice of using multiple aging locations to mature casks; is it simply a marketing stunt, or is there a benefit to be had by the whisky? You can read the responses from the various Whisky Round Table members, including my first, and if you have any thoughts on the matter, please weigh in and share your thoughts.
Whisky Round Table
The Whisky Round Table (WRT) is an esteemed group of 12 whisky bloggers, who organically came together in mid-2010 to interact and generate discussion among themselves and their respective readers. Their mission: Demystify the world of whisky and make it accessible to a larger audience. Every month a different member poses a question to the group, with the answers and ensuing readers’ discussion, hosted on that member’s blog. By all accounts they have done a terrific job, with consistent posts, pertinent topics and interesting opinions.
Esteemed is a bold word I do not use flippantly, but when you look at the original 12 members, you cannot deny their reputation and high-regard within the whisky blogosphere. Before the WRT was formed I was reading many of the sites on a daily basis, and even today these are still relevant bloggers that I admire, and that continue to inspire this blog.
It is thus a sincere privilege for me to inform you, that from this month, WhiskyBrother has been “selected” to join the noble ranks of the WRT! How exactly this selection was determined I do not know. My best attempt at explaining this act of delirium is that the WRT overheard an emaciated celebrity gossiping about adopting an African on a News of the World telephone recording, and WRT decided to do the same! 
Jokes aside, I’m truly honoured, and humbled, to be associated with the group. My addition is not the only one, however, as there are others that have been selected to join, but in all honesty details are still vague and as such I refrain from mentioning names. This does not, however, stop me from name-dropping, and so I list the original 12 founding members:
| Blog | Author(s) |
| The Casks | Peter |
| Caskstrength | Neil, Joel |
| Edinburgh Whisky Blog | Lucas, Chris |
| Glasgow’s Whisky (And Ale) | Mark |
| Guid Scotch Drink | Jason |
| The Jewish Single Malt Whisky Society | Joshua |
| Nonjatta | Chris |
| Whisky Emporium | Keith |
| Whisky for Everyone | Karen, Matt |
| Whisky Israel | Gal |
| Whisky Notes | Ruben |
| Whisky Party | Mike |
From my dim understanding, I believe some of the original members will be retiring from the WRT, which partially provided the impetus for the group to shake things up. As soon as I have my facts cleared I’ll update this post with the complete set of current members. In the meantime, you can read and weigh-in on the latest WRT discussion at Edinburgh Whisky Blog. This month’s topic focuses on the recent trend to bottle (and sell) new make spirit. And, GO!
2012: A New Year Dawns
The more years that pass the quicker they seem to go, and we find ourselves, once again, standing at the dawn of a new year filled with endless promise. I sincerely wish each of you a successful year. At the very least may 2012 be filled with moments that become cherished memories- perhaps ones that you will associate with a particular whisky in successive years.
Personally, my plans for the year are simple, but I shan’t bore you with them. I do hope, however, to continue the growth of this blog and the WhiskyBrother name/brand, and with that I need to thank each of you for your continued readership; an unread blog is as useful, if not less so, than moldy bread! The traffic to the site has, on average, continued to grow month-on-month since creation, with this past month (December 2011) the best month yet with over 1,800 page views. Compared to some whisky sites this is lilliputian, but I couldn’t be more pleased and I truly am appreciative.
In order for the blog to be as useful as possible to you (within reason- no free whisky here sorry folks!), I’d like to take this opportunity to ask you for your input. I’ve refrained from using polls until now, as I find very little more pitiful than seeing a poll on a website/blog with only a handful of responses, but since numbers are looking good WhiskyBrother is stepping out of it’s comfort zone.* The poll allows two options per respondent, if you have any other suggestions or would like to elaborate, kindly leave a comment at the bottom of the post. Looking forward to your responses:
I’d also like to humbly request (if you’ll excuse my impertinence) that as a reader of this blog you comment more. It’s great to hear your thoughts on my posts: have you tried the whisky, what are your thoughts, is my score generous/harsh, etc.? Additional reader comments will help to provide your fellow readers with further insight and other points of view, all things needed to be a well-informed, whisky juicer.
Again, I’d like to wish you and yours, all the very best for the year ahead.
Your brother in whisky,
* If there are only a handful of replies I can’t promise I won’t delete the poll to avoid looking like a failed blogger! 
Reflections on my 100th Post
Welcome to my 100th post!
Needless to say I’m somewhat surprised, but very pleased, I made it this far. Looking back, when I started the blog 18 months ago, I didn’t know what I was in for. It seemed like a simple idea; sign up on a free blogging platform and write about whisky while I drink and learn about it. There were, and still are, countless other whisky blogs out there; how hard can it really be? Oh what an ignorant fool I was! Make no mistake, blogging is no easy feat. And coupled with the fact that I’m an anal-retentive pedantic it makes for a time intensive endeavour! (I have completed whisky reviews still to be posted, delayed only due to a lack of a quality image of the bottle without the packaging.)
100 Posts may not seem like much, but considering I don’t post press releases, don’t post details of whisky events unless they are in South Africa (and there aren’t that many of them), I have a full-time corporate job, have been completing a post-grad part-time degree, have a significant other and family obligations, and that I’ve solely authored 99 of the 100 posts myself, I’d like to think it’s at least a modest accomplishment.
The blog has come a long way and I’ve learnt a tremendous amount- both about whisky, writing and engaging online. I still have a long way to go and a lot to learn (does it ever really end), but it is a journey that brings me immense enjoyment and satisfaction, a great deal due to the company along the way. I cannot write of my 100th post without specific mention of the support and readership that has been afforded to me. From the occasional blog reader, to fellow whisky bloggers, Twitter followers, chance meetings with local whisky enthusiasts, advertising agencies, to the Facebook group likers. I have met many incredible people, both online and off, and I sincerely thank each of you for your readership, knowledge and/or encouragement. I’ll be the first to unashamedly acknowledge that there are countless better writers and knowledgeable whisky enthusiasts out there, so to grace my humble blog with your time is a downright honour.
It’s a lovely coincidence that two days ago, I small write-up I did appeared in the Saturday Star; South Africa’s best-selling, national, Saturday newspaper. Never would I have thought that WhiskyBrother would “cross-over” onto a print medium. It was nothing fancy (you can read it here [jpg] if you like) but it was a downright thrill to see my name and that of the blog in a newspaper that many friends, family and colleagues read weekly.
I look forward to your company on my ongoing journey, and I endeavour to reciprocate where, and whenever, I can. Thank you again for your support, no matter how inconsequential to you, I genuinely appreciate it. I have endless plans for posts, site upgrades and a veritable distillery full of samples and bottles still to review; in the words of the famous wood-working band from the 70s, we’ve only just begun!
Until we meet in person and share a dram, slainte mhath and cheers!
Glenmorangie Facebook Tasting
Whiskies: Glenmorangie 10yo, Nectar d’or, Fineallta and Sonnalta
Venue: Palazzo Hotel, Johannesburg, South Africa
Date: 29 June, 2011
Cost: Free to 10 competition winners plus partners
The Palazzo Hotel in Johannesburg was the setting for the Glenmorangie Facebook Tasting where 10 lucky winners and their partners got to try two Glenmorangies from their Private Edition range, the Sonnalta and the Finealta.
Before I get down to the nitty-gritty of it I will clarify for those who are unaware, these whiskies are not available in South Africa and never will be… this was simply an exercise to reward the loyal followers of Glenmorangie in South Africa with a taste of what is, essentially, unobtainable uisgebeatha. The tasting consisted of four whiskies: The Original 10yo, Nectar d’or, Finealta and the Sonnalta. For this quick write-up I will concentrate on the latter two who were the special guests of the evening.
The Finealta was the first up, and unlike the tech savvy WhiskyBrother who keeps tabs on all new whiskies, I was surprised to find out that the Finealta has a dash of peat in it!
Nose: Very subtle smoke, hint of sweet vanilla – quite complex!
Mouth: Nutty, smokey, the 1st fill American oak cask comes through almost in layers
Finish: Lengthy and sweet.
I am going to be brutally honest this is a very decent whisky that I would happily have on the shelf at home, however, now that I have tasted it, for the same money I would rather go to the local bottle store and pick-up a Highland Park 18yo, and save myself the flight to Dubai…
Next up is the Sonnalta. I had read a bit about the Sonnalta and I was convinced it would be an improved Lasanta which in my opinion is the weakest of the three “12yo” currently available from Glenmorangie. It is essentially the Original 10yo finished in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks for around two years.
Nose: Marmalade, scone with a huge dollop of cream, mouth-watering!
Mouth: Rich silky, smooth chocolate and marmalade delicious.
Finish: Fruit pie with loads more cream!!
In short, get the ticket to Dubai now and take your wife, girlfriend, partner or dog and use their luggage to bring a few more bottles of the Sonnalta back to SA… At around $80 it is pricey but if you see it in passing when in duty-free and you’re a fan of a good sherried whisky (that isn’t Macallan or Aberlour) this is the whisky for you.
I would like to thank Glenmorangie for opportunity to taste these whiskies, as well as the Palazzo hotel which was a perfect venue. A special thanks to the chef who made the best lemon tartlets I have ever tasted! Perhaps next time the food could be paired with whisky?
To the rest of the guys seated at my end of the table: Rod, Wayne, Colin, Ryan and Mark, it was good sharing a few drams with you, cheers! (I hope the whisky did not mess with my memory and I remembered all the names correctly.)
One small complaint, the email that went out to the winners said we would be trying the 18yo… what happened to that?
