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Issue 62   |  Buy this issue   |  Other issues
Whisky Magazine Issue 62

Whisky Magazine Issue 62

Published on 01/03/2007

Whisky Tastings

Square Barrel Aultmore Vintage Cask

Hardly the most subtle whisky you’ll ever meet, but if .....

Ballechin Edradour Burgundy matured

It is young and showing great promise. Keep watching th.....

BenRiach Madeira wood finish

Balanced and with good weight. A good addition to the r.....

The Whisky Exchange BenRiach 21 Years Old

Complex with excellent balance. A typical for a Speysid.....

Bunnahabhain 35 Years Old Limited Edition

You’d never guess this was 35. Great life, balance and .....

Bunnahabhain 14 Years Old Port Finish

Front-loaded, clumsy and forced. Bunna’s good enough on.....

Deanston 30 Years Old limited edition

An old malty number just about holding its own, but it .....

Glenmorangie Margaux Cask Finish Vintage 1987

This starts so promisingly, but the soapiness knocks it.....

Berry's Own Selection Glen Grant 1972, 33 Years Old

After a nose that can only be described as “hairy” it r.....

Berry's Own Selection Inchgower 1974

A great wee aperitif. Fresh and fun......

Berry's Own Selection Inchgower 1980

Just lacks a little length. Not as pure as the 74, but .....

Chieftain's Choice Laphroaig 12 Years Old

A good, clean Laphroaig. Not exceptional, but true to c.....

Berry's Own Selection Longmorn 1988

Well balanced. A real wee sweetie......

Mackmyra Preludium 02

Another nipper. That tropical fruit will develop over t.....

Ledaig 10 Years Old

Another that’s growing in character. I’m looking forwar.....

Glenturret 14 Years Old

Only 14. I’m amazed. A must try......

Glenturret 15 Years Old

The balance is just tipping in favour of the cask. Glad.....

Glenturret 29 Years Old

An underrated distillery which, when on form, is up the.....

Canadian Club 6 Years Old

Hard to believe this is a whisky. Closer to a rum......

Canadian Club Classic 12 Years Old

Again, this rum taste, in a sharper and richer version .....

Canadian Club Reserve 10 Years Old

The sweet Demerara taste is still there but “enriched” .....

Canadian Club Sherry Cask

A fruity/spicy profile. Rye whisky shines through. Refr.....

Cadenhead's Canadian Indian Corn 15 Years Old

Quite young and green, with a nice fresh tang, especial.....

Canadian Mist

Probably rich in rye. Quite a nice sweet and sour profi.....

Centennial Premium Rye 10 Years Old

The nose let expect a more original profile. Lack of ba.....

Crown Royal

A characterful and clean whisky, with a rich proportion.....

Crown Royal XR Extra Rare

That maple syrup taste works more like an additive than.....

Crown Royal SR Special Reserve

A mild character, soft and pleasant but lacking nerve. .....

Seagram's VO

A well put together dram with a solid oak frame......

Seagram's VO GOld

Rye is well brought in without oak overwhelming. Water .....

Windsor Canadian

Another example of a “worked upon” whisky. Rather disma.....

Forty Creek Barrel Reserve

A gentle dram. Soft and rich. Soothes your worries away.....

Forty Creek John K Hall Small Batch Reserve

Interesting nose but the palate does not quite fulfil t.....

Wiser's Deluxe

Does not reflect a quality spirit. Looks as if it had b.....

Wiser's Reserve

All that caramel dress up seems to hide an immature spi.....

Wiser's Very Old 18 Years Old

A well integrated combination of fruit and oak. A dram .....

Century Reserve 15 Years Old

Avery pale whisky, tastes young but has got a fresh cit.....

Contents

p5

A global community

Rob Allanson dips his toe in the world whisky waters.

There have been several things recently that have brought home just how vast the whisky fraternity is, as well as how passionate and friendly connoisseurs, recent devotees and the industry can be. I ...

By Rob Allanson in the section From the Editor

p7

Casting off with Benromach

The Benromach name will take to the high seas this year as whisky producer Gordon & MacPhail backs the Glasgow crew competing in this year’s Round the World Yacht Race. Speaking about its involvement...

By Rob Allanson in the section Whisky News

p7

In brief

Glenrothes loss Tributes have poured in for John Sutherland distillery manager of Glenrothes who died recently. Luke Tegner, Glenrothes brand director said: “John was taken into hospital, initially ...

By Rob Allanson in the section Whisky News

p7

Packing a punch

Four Roses Bourbon and Rocky Balboa have a lot in common. They’re both well-aged winners with a lot of fans. And now they’ve crossed paths in the latest Rocky Balboa movie. Four Roses Yellow Kentucky...

By Rob Allanson in the section Whisky News

p8

Jack's new look

The Jack Daniel’s Distillery, the famed Tennessee Distillery has unveiled a new bottle for its twice mellowed premium whiskey, Gentleman Jack. But they were quick to point out one thing that has not ...

By Rob Allanson in the section Whisky News

p8

Newspirit

Kilchoman, Islay’s farm distillery, has launched miniatures of its ‘New Spirit’ which can be bought at the distillery shop or on line at www.kilchomandistillery.com. Jim Swan, production consultant t...

By Rob Allanson in the section Whisky News

p8

Pioneer Photos

She blazed a trail that many women in whisky have followed, but a chance discovery has shed more light on a woman who is still a legend in the whisky world. These previously unseen photographs offer ...

By Rob Allanson in the section Whisky News

p10

Heart of oak

Macallan has unveiled a £1 million development on its estate, Rob Allanson went to investigate

One thing that is impossible to escape from when you stroll up at Macallan is that fact that the place oozes class. It is everywhere from the sumptuous setting of Easter Elchies House to the immacula...

By Rob Allanson in the section Visitor Guides

p11

Not drinking, flying

Michael issues a wake up call before the whole of Scotland vanishes...or is re-branded

If I have a date with a plane, here’s how my day starts. I wake up to the sound of prepositions colliding. More of a shunt than a crash. WHACK!!! UP-TO!! UP-to! Upto....SHSHSH I would transcribe it ...

By Michael Jackson in the section Musings with Michael Jackson

p12

The roots of home

Dave uses four whiskies,the Washington cityscape and some stunning photography on a Celtic heritage trail

“Ah want to thank you, sir.” He has clearly enjoyed himself. “Ah never enjoyed Scotch before tonight - very much a bourbon man [‘brrrbn’ was barked in the correct American fashion] – but now ah do; an...

By Dave Broom in the section A dram with Dave Broom

p16

Can the price be right?

In this issue we wanted to look act the effect of discounting. Who better qualified to pass comment
than drinkers themselves. So we put two questions to members of the WhiskyMag.com forum about how they view brands that had been discounted.

Panel Leonard Bacha Ohio, USA LB Michael Medve California, USA MM Sion Hannuna Bristol, USA SH Nick Brown Isle of Lewis, UK NB John Felber Ontario, Canada JF Q:Does discounting affect how the c...

By in the section Whisky Debate

p18

The United Nations of Whisky

With a few changes to previous years' events, the Icons of Whisky 2007 shows what a broad church the whisky community is. Rob Allanson reports

There have been long and exhaustive voting rounds to draw up the Icons of Whisky this year, with much debate over each category. If truth be told there are only really three things that are important...

By Rob Allanson in the section Icons of Whisky

p26

Spirit of the architect

Ian Buxton looks at the man behind the iconic pagoda,his contemporaries and his legacy

Stop reading this article now – and draw a distillery. Then come back to this page. Chances are your sketch, however crude, has a pagoda roof somewhere in the design. You didn’t have to think about ...

By Ian Buxton in the section Architecture

p31

Rough diamonds

Our music guru showcases one of the bright new talents to break out of America. More perfect whisky music

You’ve just got to love a band who start one of their tracks with the lines (and please note the lack of capital letters): I’ve been trying to get people to call me freddy knuckles. people keep callin...

By Dominic Roskrow in the section Whisky and Music

p32

Jack's No.7 heaven (Jack Daniel's)

Jack Daniel's is bucking the trend in many markets and going from strength to strength. Dominic Roskrow went to Lynchburg to find out why

You start to get a sense of just how big Jack Daniel’s has become when you visit the main square of the pretty village of Lynchburg down the road from the distillery. It’s not that there’s anything s...

By Dominic Roskrow in the section Distillery Focus

p37

Sweet smell of jasmine

Iorwerth Griffiths finds a comfortable seat at one of Dublin’s great whisky havens

Ayoung Scotsman learns about whisky in the Channel Islands, establishes a whisky collection in a plush Dublin bar in the face of an initially sceptical management and the bar becomes the first Irish e...

By Iorweth Griffiths in the section Whisky Spotlight

p38

Celtic resurgence

Is the Emerald Isle worth a visit for whiskey fans? You bet – and particularly in 2007

Don’t shout it too loudly, but 2007 might just be the year when Irish whiskey becomes a contender again. Metaphorically speaking the stars are in alignment. The spotlight’s been turned on. The cash ...

By Dominic Roskrow in the section Visitor Guides

p43

Tempting suggestions

Diageo is making a fresh assault on our taste buds with a new approach to pairing whisky and food. Dominic Roskrow reports

During the last six years no company has done more than Diageo to promote the concept of serving whisky with food. It has been an uphill struggle and one that has been dismissed contemptuously in som...

By Dominic Roskrow in the section Whisky and Food

p45

A ward of the bar

Jefferson Chase unearths a gem of whisky writing

Strange coincidences. Last autumn I was in London having a drink with an old friend, Michael Jackson, who mentioned an unusual memoir he had read. The book was called The Tender Bar, Michael remember...

By Jefferson Chase in the section Whisky Literature

p46

Fields of Gold

Barley is one of the vital ingredients in whisky,but with shortages and price increases is there going to be a knock on effect?

It is the cornerstone the industry is built on, indeed the core of a good whisky and yet barley remains possibly one of the most under discussed issues. Let’s face it barley tends to be sidelined dur...

By in the section Whisky Production

p50

Raising the bar (Gordon & McPhail)

Gordon & McPhail is something of a ‘one stop shop’f or whisky enthusiasts. As it celebrates 10 years as
a distillery owner our man looks at why it continues to surprise and delight

The old saying about familiarity breeding contempt has a resonance in the world of whisky. While some iconic names enjoy adulation at every turn, others such as Glenfiddich and Glenmorangie are dismi...

By in the section Whisky Spotlight

p52

Lochside no more

In the first of a new series Gavin D. Smithgoes in search of whisky’s lost heritage

The Scotch whisky industry has always been prone to periods of ‘boom’ and ‘bust.’ During the boom times new distilleries have been constructed, while bust has inevitably meant plant closures. The luc...

By Gavin D. Smith in the section Lost distilleries

p53

Ask the expert

John Rose fields more of your questions

Q. I am trying to find out information about a decanter I have, for instance when it was produced, value etc. It is brown and white in colour made by Royal Doulton. It is called Castle Grant and is f...

By John Rose in the section Whisky Questions

p54

Edinburgh detective ages aswell as his whisky

Roddy Martine shares a dram with Ian Rankin as he celebrates 20 years of his most famous creation,Inspector Rebus

Having to date immersed myself in 12 of his 17 crime scene investigations, I reckon I recognise the role model for the fictional Inspector John Rebus of Edinburgh’s Oxford Bar. In fact, I know him wel...

By Roddy Martine in the section Whisky Interview

p56

Classic Burns

Ian Wisniewski goes in search of Bobby Burns

It’s surprising that so few cocktails are named after people, whether it’s the person who inspired the recipe, or whoever created it . So, it’s even more surprising that although Scotch whisky only h...

By Ian Wisniewski in the section Whisky Cocktails

p59

Gateway to exclusive whiskies

Joe Bates checks out the latest offers

Glasgow, the gateway to the Lowlands, narrowly pips Edinburgh as the busiest airport in Scotland and is rapidly expanding its route network to include long-haul destinations. Owner BAAhas pumped a lo...

By Joe Bates in the section Travel retail

p60

Cask Strength Malts

The tradition of high strength bottlings was a natural launch pad for cask strength malts,which have gathered momentum since the late 1980s. Ian Wisniewski finds out more.

Cask strength bottlings vary from around 65% ABV, to just above the legal minimum of 40% ABV. Being bottled at the strength they reach in the cask (rather than being diluted with water to reach a part...

By Ian Wisniewski in the section Whisky Production

p78

By the letter

In the latest in the series Dominic Roskrow looks at the letter ‘D’

That’s the spirit. Distilling is, of course, the core part of the whisky-making process. We can – and I’m sure we do – sink many a glass of whisky and while away plenty of happy hours debating how imp...

By Dominic Roskrow in the section Understanding whisky

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