A Heavenly Barbershop

Dear Whisky Lovers,
Can you read the sign in this barbershop's window? It says "Free Whisky with every Haircut." A definite sign of civilization. When a lover of the water of life sees such a sign, there is a deep primal urgency for a haircut. I'd love to know where this barbershop is located and how their business is doing.

Alas I know that it cannot be in Canada due to some killjoy laws we are expected to follow. I would like to take this opportunity to wish you the joy of the season. May your whisky glass get a good workout on New Year's Eve.

Remember if you can't be a proud example, you can always be a terrible warning!

Chairman Bill

Professor Emeritus Crusty

This Tasmanian whisky was showcased at Crusty's bar. After many years as a full professor at The Canadian College of Whisky Knowledge, the much beloved Professor Emeritus Crusty relaxes in his lovely woodland retreat atop a secluded moraine in Southern Ontario. Smoking is allowed at Crusty's Bar which is very important to some whisky aficionados who are in the habit of enjoying a cigar or two along with their whisky. This is, alas, a dying practice. The College knows that it can call upon Professor Crusty to properly showcase rare whiskies. He has helped to make the College what it is today.

Tasmanian Whisky Tutorial

Dear Readers,

Chairman Bill here. May this posting find you and your loved ones well.

I had the privilege of joining a select group (two of us) who had the honour of opening a bottle of The Singular Overeem Single Malt Whisky, Port Cask Matured at Crusty's Bar located deep in the heart of Southern Ontario.

This particular bottle was handed to the person who purchased it by Jane Overeem at the distillery in Tasmania. The purchaser, let us all give her a respectful bow, brought this lovely example of the whisky maker's art all the way from Tasmania to Canada and gifted it to Crusty. So when I laid my respectful hands upon the bottle, I was the third person to have handled it post distillery.

To learn more about this whisky have a look at Old Hobart Distillery and Overeem on the net or wherever you research things. The bottle or the box states
 "An exceptionally robust and intense whisky from one of the most Southernly Distilleries in the world."

As we all know there has to be something that differentiates one distillery from another. This whisky is double distilled in copper pot stills and all copper condensers. It is matured in heavily toasted oak quarter casks cut down from sherry casks. This process apparently matures the whisky more quickly.

This must be true because the whisky is only....drum roll..5 years old!

Colour:    A Beautiful Golden Colour

Nose:    The Nose Was Sweet. My smeller was not in top shape, read what the      distillery says for more complete notes.

Taste:   Silky Aromatic Loveliness. Crusty said "It's like an angel p-----g down your throat." I'll take his word for it because his bar is a little piece of heaven so he is familiar with angelic visitations.

Finish:   A Minor Bite at the Back of the Throat - Improved with Three Drops of Water

I would be most delighted to add this whisky to my drinks cabinet.

When asked how this wonderful whisky stacks up to the single malts from Scotland, my comments can only be general ones based on my "Whisky Memory."

It is to some degree comparing apples to oranges since there  are no widely acclaimed 5 year old single malts from Scotland.

The Scottish single malt whiskies that I think are in the same ballpark all have been chosen based on taste. Glengoyne 10 year old, Tullibardine 8 year old Aged Oak, Blair Athol 12 year old, Edradour 10 year old, Aberlour 10 year old with a sherry cask finish.

Crusty and I agree that the Tasmanian whisky makers have been able to achieve some very impressive results regardless of the number of years they take.

So if you get a chance, do try some Tasmanian single malt whisky.
I will post some photos when they become available.

Chairman Bill

Dear Readers,
My blogging has been done in fits and starts and I hope it has not distressed anyone. Now that all of the distilleries have been described, I will be posting stories of whisky tastings or whisky tutorials as we call them here at the College of Whisky Knowledge.

Keep well eh?

Chairman Bill

Glenmoranghie, the 21st Distillery!

This is a Highland region distillery. Glenmorangie is Scotland's best selling single malt within Scotland. My visit corresponded to the end of a bus tour, so it was awhile before I was taken through. The tour guide was top notch and went the extra mile to drive me into town to catch my bus.

Tasting Notes:
Glenmorangie 10 year old Amber colour, light fruity flavour, light finish
Overall a lovely dram that is welcome to join my drinks cabinet.

Benromach Distillery Number 20

This distillery is located in Forres on the way to Inverness

It is still in the Speyside region of whisky making. It is the smallest working distillery on Speyside with a staff of two including the manager.

The tour was very well run.

Tasting Notes:
Benromach 10 year old: Pale amber, sweet and a bit smoky, nice flavour bites at the finish.

I would be happy to add this whisky to my drinks cabinet.

Glenfarcas Distillery Number 19

This distillery is in a beautiful location. Its name means "Valley of the Green Grass." The tour was very well done. The tasting room is called "the Ship's Room" because it has the original ship's bar from the ocean liner Empress of Australia.
The wood panelling in the tasting room is also from the ocean liner.

The malt is lightly peated for this whisky. There is a range of single cask bottlings under the Family Casks label. You can enjoy whisky for each year from 1952 to 1994. I did not have the opportunity to try all of these whiskies.

Tasting Notes:
Glenfarcas 10 year old. Light colour and mild flavour with a hard finish
Glenfarcas 25 year old. Amber colour, smooth and tasty, 2 drops of water improve the finish making it less harsh.
Glenfarcas 30 year old. Darker amber colour, very smooth and tasty, bites at the finish. 2 rops of water improves the finish making it less harsh

All three whiskies are most welcome to be part of my drinks cabinet.

Cardhu, Distillery Number 18

Note the Blue Sky above this Distillery!

I was on the first tour of the day, so it was just me and the tour guide who was most pleasant. She was surprised to hear that this was the eighteenth distillery that I had visited. I explained how some people admire cathedrals and others admire whisky. When I am too old to travel to distilleries, I will have fond memories of this trip and I will recommend Scotland and its wonderful people to one and all.

The tour was well done.

The tastings were also well done:
12 year old Cardhu - light, very nice. All in all a lovely whisky
Cardhu Special Cask Reserve - purrs down the throat
Cardhu 18 year old - darker colour and more flavour than the 12 year old

All three of these whiskies were very fine. I gave top marks to the Special Cask Reserve followed closely by the 18 year old. The 12 year old is quite acceptable, but it is in a different league. They are all welcome to come and stay in my drinks cabinet.

Cragganmore

Cragganmore, Distillery Number 17

After a wonderful morning interlude at Balvenie distillery, I decided to travel out to Cragganmore after lunch. This distillery is located nine miles south of Aberlour.

It is part of the Diageo which meant a free tour with my passport. The malt is unpeated and the casks are ex-Bourbon.

Tasting notes: Cragganmore Distiller's Edition - 12 years old and a wee bit more.

Aged in Bourbon Casks and then in Port Wine Casks for a few months.

Light colour, delicate nose, sweet taste with a hint of smoke. I would be happy to add this whisky to my drinks cabinet.

It is unfortunate that after the tour is over, the visitor does not have the option to purchase whisky by the dram. This was part of my experience at Tullibardine and Edradour distilleries and I would like this to be adopted by all distilleries who welcome visitors. 

I believe that this is part of the "So many fine whiskies, so little time" syndrome that whisky lovers suffer from.

Balvenie Distillery near Dufftown

This is the Balvenie distillery within walking distance of Dufftown. 

I just had to take a photo of this copper crapper. It adds a touch of whimsy eh?

This was distillery number 16 of my tour and it was a wonderful experience all round.
An appointment was necessary and I paid 25 pounds for the tour and tasting. Worth every penny! It was a great treat. The tastings were excellent and included some 30 year old Balvenie! It was a wonderful experience for this writer. All that Balvenie put before me to sample is most welcome in my drinks cabinet.

15 year old Sherry Butt, 59.5% spicy dried fruits
15 year old Refilled Hogshead, 62%, honey, black licorice, spicy, fruity
12 year old 1st Filled Oak 63.6% floral
 Signature ,12 year old Bourbon Sherry Butt, refilled Hogshead  amber colour, sweet, slightly vanilla, spicy
Double Wood, 12 years in American Cask, finished 8 months in European Sherry Cask, dark amber, lovely flavour
Carribean Cask 14 years in Bourbon Casks and then 4 months in Rum Casks, very fine dram!
Single Barrel 15 year second filling,amber colour, honeyed flavour
Port Wood 21 years in Bourbon, 3-4 months in Port Pipes, nice amber colour, sweet licorice, fruits, honey vanilla
30 year old, dark amber, chocolate, hints of plum.

When your ninth tasting is a 30 year old Balvenie, you've had a good whisky tasting! Slainte'

Strathisla Distillery close to Dufftown

Some views of Strathisla Distillery and Standing Stones

This is distillery number 15 for me. As it happened, I was able to catch a train from Dufftown to Strathisla and back. It's not very far and the Strathisla distillery is easy to find. The timing of the trains even allowed for some extra time after the distillery tour. This is when I visited the standing stones and the local pub. I found it to be a very enjoyable afternoon's outing.

As you can see from one of the photos, Strathisla is the home of Chivas Regal, a well known blended Scotch. The tour was very well done and the tasting room was like a gentleman's  club with big leather chairs and couches.

Chivas 12 year old. A very pleasant whisky. smooth tasting with a nice finish

Chivas 18 year old. rich, smooth, hint of smoke, light finish

Strathisla 12 year old.  sweet, nutty, oaky, vanilla, honey

All three of these whiskies are most enjoyable. They are welcome in my drinks cabinet.

On to Abelour

This is distillery number 14 on my tour.  This photo is of the lovely gatehouse, gift shop building. I made a reservation to be included on the 2 pm tour. The tour was well arranged. There were six tastings put in front of us. The first was raw spirit. As you may have deduced by now, it goes against my nature to turn down an alcoholic beverage. Be that as it may, raw spirit is called moonshine where I grew up in the Ontario Lowlands of Canada. One of my friends very eloquently summed up moonshine when he stated,
with the voice of experience,"That stuff will make you throw rocks at your own house!"
I took a pass on the raw spirit.

Fortunately, there were five tastings to follow. These tastings are all very fine. All are welcome in my drinks cabinet

16 year old Bourbon Cask 54.4% deep golden colour, vanilla nose, peppery on the lips, short finish

16 year old Sherry Cask Matured, dark amber colour, very nice flavour

10 year old 90% Bourbon Cask, 10% Sherry Cask, 43% alcohol, amber colour, apples, pears on the nose, sweet, smooth, easy to drink. (I know, I know, they are ALL easy to drink when you love whisky. I thought that when I came across an excellent 10 year old expression of the whisky maker's art, it is important to point this out) Now my editing note is longer than the tasting note!

16 year old Bourbon Cask, 50% Sherry Cask, Final 6 months in a sherry cask, deep golden amber, apples, spiciness, nuttiness

A'bunadh - taste from the past. This whisky is based on an old bottle whose characteristics were duplicated by the master whisky makers of Abelour. It is aged in Spanish olorosa sherry buttes for 5-20 years. The average age is 12 years old. 60.3% alcohol, dark golden colour, chocolate,orange,cherry,spice.

 I sat in one of these chairs and had several lovely visits with  whisky lovers from
around the world. We all agreed that whisky tastes better in Scotland.

The conclusive statement that was agreed to by one and all at the director's chair
symposium....Further study is required!

Distillery Number 9

On to the Dalwhinnie distillery on the road to Inverness. From where the bus drops you off to the distillery itself is a 45 minute walk. I received a free tour, tasted three whiskies, and was given a free dram glass. This is is because I had my passport that was started at Glenkinchie distillery. The three whiskies tasted were:
Dalwhinnie 15 year old: sweet and fruity with a nice finish
Dalwhinnie Distiller's Edition: more pronounced taste, smooth finish
Dalwhinnie Cask Strength 59 % Alcohol: similar taste with a bite at the back of the throat at the finish
All three of these whiskies are very worthwhile and would be welcome in my drinks cabinet.
This was a very busy distillery in terms of visitors. On the walk back to the bus stop I was able to find a restaurant and have a nice lunch. The bus took me to Aviemore where I stayed at a hostel. It was a bit of a walk but the room cost 27 pounds a night, so I was pleased.

On to Speyside and the official Whisky Trail! There are big signs welcoming you to the Whisky  Trail. When I started down the highway it was raining a light drizzly rain. The rain stopped. The sun came out and a beautiful rainbow stretched across the valley. The next turn of the road revealed a huge sign Welcome to the Whisky Trail! And the angels sang!

Distillery Number 10  Glenfiddich

This is the largest single malt distillery in the world. There are 27 copper stills, an excellent tour and tasting program and a great shop. The distillery is located right in Dufftown and it a short walk to Mrs Barclay's B&B where I stayed. The four whiskies I tasted were:
Glenfiddich 12 yr old - light and pleasant
Glenfiddich 15 yr old - more flavourful
Glenfiddich 18 yr old - baked apple, toffee, cinnamon
Glenfiddich 21 yr old - very smooth and flavourful
All of these whiskies are most welcome in my drinks cabinet. Dufftown is a great place. They have whisky festivals and there are several pubs and restaurants to help with whisky exploration.A short bus ride away is the Highlander Inn and the Craigellachie Hotel. I found the Highlander to be a great spot to expand my knowledge of whisky.

This is a photograph of the Spey river. It's a very scenic area.

Distillery Number 11 Glenlivet

The Glenlivet distillery is quite a ways out of Dufftown. Fortunately I recruited a driver who was killing time before he had to head to Inverness to catch a flight. We toured the distillery - no charge for the basic tour - and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. The still room has a glass wall looking out over the highlands. A spectacular view. The one dram that we tried was:
Glenlivet 21 yr old - very flavourful and smooth. This bottle is most welcome to come and join my drinks cabinet.

Distillery Number 12 Macallan

With a driver I was able to be dropped back at the Macallan distillery where we said our goodbye. This was a very pleasant tour. We had a small group and an excellent guide.
The two whiskies that I sampled were;
Macallan Fine Oak 12 yr old - light and smooth
Macallan Sherry Oak 12 yr old - light and sweet
Welcome additions to my drinks cabinet.

. 

Distillery Number 13  The Glen Grant Distillery

The Glen Grant distillery has lovely gardens and scheduled tour times. I walked around the garden and ate a scone at the coffee shop before we got down to business. There was a German couple, a Spanish couple, and yours truly. The tour was very well done. In the tasting room there were bottles on the table and we were invited to "Go ahead and pour yourself  a dram." I do believe that this is one of the very nicest sentences that the English language has to offer. An the angels sang! The whiskies sampled were:

Glen Grant - The Major's Reserve non aged - golden colour a lovely light whisky

Glen Grant 10 yr old 80% bourbon, 20% sherry - tasty and nice

These two lovely expressions of the whisky making art are most welcome in my drinks cabinet

Photo of Edradour Distillery number 8

If you ever find yourself in Pitlochry and there is only time to tour one distillery, what a terrible plight, choose the one up the hill: Edradour. It is small and personable with a fine gift shop. The guide that took our group through was top notch. I arrived early at 09:30 despite my abysmal cycling and I observed this older lady with a cane arriving. She gave me a very pleasant hello and went on in. As it transpired, this lady was our tour guide, no cane in evidence. Just being around whisky is very healthy for you! She is a natural comic and responded to impertinent questions with mock ferocity and a "Coca cola for you!" When our guide was being asked in the gift shop what the little 200 ml bottles of whisky were for, she deadpanned "Those are just the right size for washing your pills down in the evening." This lovely little distillery knows how to run a tour. We paid 7 pounds, 50 pence and sat through a nice video. Then we were given 2 nice drams of whisky in a Glencairn glass and told to keep the glass (a 4.99 value in pounds). I can't find the pound symbol on this keyboard.  It was at Edradour that the inspiration for this College came to me. An earnest young Swiss man who was touring through with his father asked me what my story was since I was travelling on my own. I told him that I was studying for my masters degree in whisky appreciation from the Canadian College of Whisky Knowledge. This field trip to Scotland is an essential part of my whisky education. When the tour came to a close in the tasting room I confessed that the Canadian College existed only in my imagination. The Swiss fellow thanked me for my honesty, told me that I was most entertaining and bought me a dram of 26 year old Edradour which is one of the best drams I have had the privilege to enjoy. The tasting room is not open to the public, but those who have come through the tour can linger as long as they wish and buy 26 year old whisky by the dram. My tasting notes give "buy them" ratings to the 10 year old Edradour, a nice light floral dram, the Sauternes Cask Matured, light, sweet, bites at the finish, 18 year old Oloroso Sherry Cask Matured bottle # 49 of 599 59% alcohol natural cask strength, vanilla, sweet, smooth finish, 26 year old matured in oak for 20 years, then 6 years in a sherry cask. Lovely, sweet, it purrs down your throat! As you may recall I arrived at 09:30 at Edradour. By the time I zipped down the hill it was 2:00 pm and I Had done my best  to know what the distillery has to offer.