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.
Old Pulteney 17yo
Whisky: Old Pulteney 17yo, 46%
R600 ≈ £50
The second youngest sibling from the Pulteney distillery is predominantly matured in ex-bourbon casks, but with the addition of whisky that has been wholly matured in Spanish wood ex-sherry casks, mostly Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso.
Nose: A light nose of coastal fresh air with extra salt, butterscotch sweetness and fine toasted oak. Fragrant and delicate, but with a sense of oiliness.
Taste: The oily weight is here as promised by the nose and it brings with it more vigor and richness. Greatly sweeter with floral and green fruits, and a measure of spice for balance. Unmistakably full-bodied and rewarding.
Finish: Ebbs and flows with fruit sweetness, florals, saltiness and even a hint of chocolate. An impressively long finish!
My Score: 84
An uncomplicated and full-bodied, well balanced whisky with good complexity and a finish that just won’t quit. Although sharing numerous similarities with it’s younger 12yo sibling, the extra few years have resulted in a richer and fuller whisky. Excellent stuff and thankfully available in South Africa for a reasonable price.
Other Scores: JM’11 95
World Whisky Day 2012 Competition
In honour of World Whisky Day I’m giving away two whiskies to two lucky readers (sorry South Africans only), compliments of Bunnahabhain and Black Bottle. Today, all around the world whisky enthusiasts are proudly celebrating their beloved tipple, and what better way to celebrate than by giving away some free whisky!
I have one bottle of the newly relaunched, un-chillfiltered Bunnahabhain 12yo and one bottle of Black Bottle blended whisky, and all you need to do to stand a chance of winning is send me a message via the Contact Me page or email and answer the following three questions:
1) What year was the Bunnahabhain distillery built?
2) What does Bunnahabhain mean in Scots Gaelic?
3) What year was Black Bottle first created?
The two winners will be drawn at random from all correct entries and will be notified tomorrow, March 28th. To even the playing field I give you the official blurbs on these two delicious whiskies which may just contain the answers you need! 
Sincere thank you to Bunnahabhain and Black Bottle for sponsoring the prizes. Have a great World Whisky Day and good luck!
Bunnahabhain 12
Bunnahabhain (pronounced Bū-na-ha-venn) means “mouth of the river” in Scots Gaelic and refers to the Margadale River that flows close by. Founded in 1881, the distillery lies on the north-eastern tip of Islay and the tiny village of Bunnahabhain that overlooks the Sound of Islay grew up around it. Bunnahabhain’s single malts are known for their gentle taste profile and by un-chillfiltering, the unique character of these extraordinary whiskies become more pronounced. Unlike most single malts from Islay, Bunnahabhain is crafted from unpeated malted barley. Whisky drinkers who prefer the slightly fruitier and more accessible offerings from Islay are likely to select Bunnahabhain as their whisky of choice.
Black Bottle
Black Bottle, the only blend of all the renowned single malts from the Isle of Islay balanced by the finest Highland, Lowland and Speyside malt and grain whiskies. The daringly bold taste of Black Bottle has been praised by critics and whisky-lovers across the world, and over the years it has secured a cult following for its unique taste. Black Bottle was first created in 1879 by Gordon Graham of Aberdeen and was initially sold in pottery bottles and jars. Later a solid black glass bottle, specially designed in the shape of a pot-still, was imported from Germany until the outbreak of the First World War forced the company to source new green glass bottle, retaining the distinctive pot-still shape.
Artist’s Blend
Whisky: Artist’s Blend NAS, 43%
Producer: Compass Box, Scotland
R350 ≈ £30
Artist’s Blend is the latest release from Compass Box, and the first in their new Great King Street range of blended whiskies. Unlike any other blend, the proportion of malt is almost 50% (impressively high) and the whisky is uncoloured and non-chilfiltered. Cask types used are 1st fill American oak, 1st fill European ex-Sherry butts and (also unlike any other blend) new, heavily-toasted French oak.
Nose: Soft cereal sweetness, creamy vanilla ice-cream and cold apple puree. Followed by buttered hot-cross buns with extra raisins.
Taste: The sweet and soft creaminess continues momentarily but then takes an unexpected, yet controlled, detour with mixed peppercorns, toasted oak and a squeeze of lemon. Manages to be rich and sumptuous while remaining balanced and understated.
Finish: The spice lingers gently before parting, allowing the smooth finish to linger with hints of shortbread biscuits.
My Score: 83
Compass Box and their seemingly infinite talent have crafted a blended whisky that can stand proud among it’s single and blended malt whisky brethren. This perfectly demonstrates just how mediocre so many other mass-produced blended whiskies are, and how much better they could be with more craftsmanship and care. A blended whisky for single malt lovers!
Other Scores: DR 91
Exclusive GlenDronach Competition!
I’m elated to announce the first WhiskyBrother exclusive competition that will see one very lucky winner receive a bottle of the limited release The GlenDronach 18yo single cask, valued at R1900, AND a bottle of Magnum Cream Liqueur!
The South African exclusive The GlenDronach 1990, single Oloroso cask 1124, is bottled at a whopping 58.2% ABV and is limited to only 561 bottles. Magnum Cream Liqueur is a blended malt whisky and cream based liqueur that promises a smooth and delicious drink whether over ice, neat or added to your coffee. Both these releases are brand new to South Africa.
How to Enter
1. Post a comment below with your Twitter handle and your favourite GlenDronach expression
2. Follow @GlenDronach and @WhiskyBrother on Twitter
3. Retweet the @WhiskyBrother competition tweet
The competition will close at midnight on Saturday, 31 March 2012. Unfortunately the competition is only open to South African residents who are of legal drinking age (18+). The winner will be chosen at random from all eligible entrants and will be notified via Twitter, where after they will have 48 hours to claim their prize. Should they fail to claim their prize another eligible entrant will be randomly drawn. The competition is closed to employees and immediate family members (parents, children, siblings) of Intra Trading and WhiskyBrother.
Huge thanks to the folks at Intra Trading, the local importers of The GlenDronach, who are sponsoring these terrific prices!
