www.caskstrength.net - whisky blog

Well, here we are again. Yet another year begins and, would you believe it, we're approaching the middle of the first month already. Sort of. Hush my mouth, we're really only eleven days in. Barely scratching the surface, really! Or should that be 'barley scratching the surface'...?

Right, with the contender for 'worst pun of the year' already made in only our second post of 2013, it's time to start to talk seriously about the year ahead. We've already heard rumours about interesting bottlings to come from a wide variety of different distilleries and blenders, but no matter what is pulled from various warehouses across Scotland (and let's not forget the rest of world, please) and put in a bottle, there is one vital aspect that still underscores the whole of the whisk(e)y business and that is quality.

In 2012 we've seen more bottles than ever released, and at increasingly higher prices (see: Supply And Demand 101) but, ya know, I actually think the quality is getting better. Even Aldi and Lidl are taking their whisky seriously nowadays. Who would have said that a few years ago about two shops which openly claim to be aimed at the shopper on a budget... amazing really. So as we enter our sixth year of writing about this fantastic product, we look forward to sharing our journey of discovery with you and to continue what we set out to do right at the start: educate, entertain and inform.

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Rumours of interesting bottles will always abound on the internet and until someone from a company, PR house or retailer actually tells us something is coming, we often take any whispers with a large pinch of salt. Especially those press releases which magically seem to appear each year on the first day of April...

However, there is one company who specialise in unusual bottles. When you hear a rumour about a possible release from this indie whisky house, you just hope it's true. The Wonka of whisky, Compass Box has been churning out amazing blended whisky since its inception in a West London kitchen in 2000.

Thirteen years later and this creative bunch have turned their hand to pretty much everything they could get away with, within the confines of the ever-changing Scotch Whisky Association regulations (and even some outside of it); this lot are real 'punks', in the purest sense of the word.

But not only do Compass Box have a focus on constructing fantastic liquid, they also have a real eye for art, too. The packaging designs chosen to house the whisky are just fantastic and the boxes which these bottles wear, sublime. Let's take a look at a new release from The House Of Compass Box, by way of an illustration:

Compass Box - The Entertainer - Blended Whisky - 1000 bottles only - Selfridge's exclusive - 70cl - 46% ABV - £84.99 here

This comes in a box and with a label which looks like Magritte and Duchamp have had a fight in workshop in early Nineteenth Century Vienna. To say this is a stunning piece is beyond doubt. But as we all know, whisky is not just about the packaging. How does this stuff actually taste?

Nose: A big hit of butterscotch and fresh daisy, there is also a wisp of peat smoke and oodles of vanilla. Just like opening a bag of Werther's Original by the fireside.

Palate: Deliciously delicate at first, with firey peat coming in to back up the mellow start. Tasted marshmallow melts over hot buttered crumpets and a hint of walnut praline gives some additional depth.

Finish: Vanilla. Peat smoke. Cinnamon. In that order. In equal measure.

Overall: This is incredibly drinkable whisky. With a drop of water it opens up to become really very moorish. Very well constructed a liquid.

This whisky is a creation specifically for the good people at Selfridges (who, ironically, don't actually sell fridges. Unlike John Lewis, who do) where it is exclusively available. Quite a timely release here in the UK; with a Downtown drought on, we have had to quench our thirst for costume drama with a new series that kicked off this weekend called Mr Selfridge, all about the inception of the great store and, I'm sure, some poetic licence on the odd love story of the workers therein.

Just 1000 bottles of this blend have been produced, retailing at £84.99. I wonder if Mr Selfridge was a whisky drinker himself. If so, I'm sure he'd have been proud to have this in his shop. And not just for the box.

Smashing into 2013 like a greased up, white hot juggernaught of whisky, hitting a Ford Transit Van full of salted Lurpak butter, Caskstrength's January has thus far been undoubtedly our busiest yet. Book launches, new tastings, creative projects and a host of fun have all entered the swiftly emerging horizon and so far, we've been feeling slightly light headed as a result. In other interesting news, our 5th annual BiG award (Best in Glass) has recently sparked off a flurry of international interest, especially in the New York Times with Balcones single malt release proving that craft distillation is very much alive, well and turning out some highly individual and engaging spirits.

Anyway, back to what we know best: writing and talking about whisky.

Last night was our first Southbank Centre Whisky Club date for 2013 and the line up was undoubtedly the best yet: premium whiskies of the highest order. The club, which was started this time last year for members of the Southbank Centre and Royal Festival Hall is now open to non-members and it was wonderful to see a few familiar faces last night and regular readers of Caskstrength grinning as the drams were being poured. But then again, who wouldn't want to open their 2013 malt account with this little motley crew and a view of Big Ben after dark?

From the left: Balvenie Portwood 21yo, MacKinlay's recreation, Highland Park 21yo,
Nikka Pure Malt 17yo and SMWS Glen Moray 38yo

In fact, we were so taken with the whiskies, that we decided to do a little write up on each one- (as we reviewed the MacKinlay's recently click here for a full report)

Balvenie Portwood 21yo - 40%

Nose: A wonderful richness, with floral wax, fresh cherries, wine soaked oak and spiced oranges.

Palate: Bold and creamy, but with a secondary wave of fresh cherries, lemon zest, a hint of liquorice and oaky, ruby port.

Finish: The oak is balanced perfectly with a lingering note of fresh fruit.

Overall: On a show of hands, this very much looked the dram to beat... until our next one popped its head up, but a truly outstanding example of how to bottle a near perfect whisky.

Highland Park 21yo - 40%

Nose: Manuka honey, a touch of dried ginger, liquorice, juicy apples dusted in cinnamon and brown sugar. The peat is soft, floral and slightly waxy. Wonderful and refined.

Palate: Soft sweet malt, stewed red berries, patisserie cream, some green apple freshness and a sprinkling of rich brown sugar. Tantalising and extremely moreish.

Finish: Honeyed malt notes are left on the palate, with a touch of slightly more medicinal peat.

Overall: HP 21yo at this strength is just superb. The 18yo ranks as one of the all-time greats and this is another step up in the staircase of malt perfection.

Nikka Pure Malt 17yo - 43%

Nose: Bold and bright, with strong PVA notes, a mineral/chalky note, swiftly followed up with some very unique peatiness (smoked straw), rich malt extract and old lobster pots/ brine. Very distinct indeed.

Palate: Very clean, with come sweet candied cherries, icing sugar, malted milk biscuits a touch of pears steeped in white wine and vanilla, plus a slightly smoky backbeat.

Finish: The creamy notes take the longest time to diminish, alongside the peat smoke and fresh fruit.

Overall: Balanced on the palate, giving the hallmarks of lingering oak alongside some youthful exuberance. Nikka are really beginning to fill in the gaps left by the likes of Suntory's Hakushu and Yamazaki, as well as the hugely sherried Karuizawa with their approach to intricately peated whiskies. this is yet another 'must-buy', if you're looking for something different from a Japanese whisky.

Scotch Malt Whisky Society: 35.63 (Glen Moray) 1974 Single Cask - 45.3%

Nose: A very dry note to begin with, which takes a little time to open up. But when it does, the fun begins: graphite/pencil shavings, a hint of freshly modelled clay, lemongrass, golden syrup, creamy fudge, vanilla essence and stewed plums.

Palate: The initial dryness gives way to some gingery notes, sweet potato, lemongrass something slightly medicinal (child's cough syrup) and a hint of woody anise.

Finish: Slightly dry, with a crisp oakiness leading the way and a touch of cooking apple.

Overall: Yes, this is showing signs of its age, but there's still plenty in the tank to get excited about. A great way to round off our tasting with and judging by the fair share of hands - a firm favourite for some of our Whisky Club members.

If you'd like to come along to our next Southbank Centre Members Whisky Club, (on March 6th, covering Irish whiskey) visit the Southbank Centre website, where you can become a member (and get plenty of benefits, including significant discounts on events at the Royal Festival Hall, as well as access to the members lounge. You can also email us info(at)caskstrength(dot)net for details and tickets, as our 2013 events schedule (including gin, cocktails, and many more) are now open to everyone.

It's no secret that we're not Scottish. In fact, the nearest we get is that Joel's dad is from Oxford and his mum from Bergen in Norway, with Glasgow lying right in the middle of the two. Oh, and Neil owns a very fetching Bowmore tweed jacket. But as a couple of writers who spend nearly every waking hour living and breathing Scotch whisky and loving every minute of it, sometimes it's nice to take a step back and do something a little bit different.

So with this in mind, this year, we decided to theme a Burns Night tasting we were hosting with a distinctly international feel. A sell out audience of 60 rabid Scotophiles, one massive haggis, poems and stories from Scotland of old, all accompanied by some exceptional Japanese food, courtesy of the fantastic restaurant Tsuru, a piper (well, a saxophonist) and a magnificent haul of world whiskies.

Our plan was to introduce the whiskies to attendees without actually explaining the origin of the whisky or using the distillery name- giving the whole evening a vague air of mystery and anticipation, which proved to be much harder than we expected. So, with our back against the wall, we did what we do best... and resorted to poorly constructed puns, analogies and crude descriptors. Joel: 'Neil... can you describe Wales to me in a sentence?' Neil: 'Err... Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey and daffodils?'

Words and lack of credible descriptions aside, we were fortunately blessed with a line up of whiskies that did all the talking - each with its very own accent and personality. So with the food menu paired to perfection, we launched into a short trip across the whisky making globe, starting off our journey in the fine company of the Japanese:

Hibiki 12 Year Old Blended Whisky 43%

Nose: Hugely fruity and plummy with slight wafts of fragrant licorice, rice wine, honeysuckle and when you dig deeper, some wonderful buttery/creamy notes.

Palate:A delicateyet rich texture in the mouth with layers of smooth malt and grain, licorice, some fresh fruits, lemon zest and vanilla.

Finish: Lengthy, with spiced notes and vanilla traces. Well balanced and thoroughly enjoyable.

Penderyn Welsh Single Malt 46%

Nose: Something deliciously fruity and perfumed, coupled with some white chocolate notes and some unmistakable chopped hazelnuts.

Palate: The freshness of the Penderyn is immediately there, but it is enhanced hugely by some lovely oily fruitiness, some country fudge, dried apricots and then a hint of drying wood.

Finish: Some lingering dryness, but it's fruit all the way into a well rounded and lengthy finish.

Teeling’s Hybrid Scotch/Irish Whiskey 44.7%

Nose: Initial soft fruit notes, some dusty books, white pepper, buttered brown toast and a slight waft of old lobster pots/sea air/iodine. Direct and very appealing.

Palate: Very thick and rich on the palate, tongue coating and silky. The peat smoke combines with a sweetness to great effect - think a smoky version of golden syrup and you're somewhere nearby.

Finish: Fresh, with smoky overtones and a hint of drying oak.

Paul John Single Cask Indian Whisky 57%

Nose: Milk chocolate, hazelnuts, fresh oak and hints of woody spice.

Palate: Hot and spicy, with dried ginger and soy notes, a hint of menthol, malty notes and a touch of citrus orange.

Finish: juicy, with hints of fresh oak, lingering woody spices and dark caramel.

Balconies Texas Single Malt 53%

Nose: Similar light orchard fruit notes to a highland whisky, with apricot, stewed pears, plums and vanilla. Also a touch of dessert wine.

Palate: Sweet and light, with vanilla, more apricot, chopped green apples a hint of light oak and milk chocolate.

Finish: Short, with lighter fruit notes and a tiny touch of liquorice.

With Scotch whisky at an all time high from both a sales and quality point of view, it's no surprise that the rest of the world should be following suite and these bottles provide a suitably splendid alternative, should you fancy a foray off the tartan map for a change.

Whisky seems to be popping up in the most weird and wonderful of places at the moment. From the odd, unusual bottle in the local corner shop, to pubs now hosting vast arrays of bottles for you to choose from when out drinking, this is always a good indication of the growth in awareness of a product.

It has always been the domain of the malt drinker to seek out bottles which are interesting and unique. I was recently in a liquor shop in a particular part of North London which is home to a large Jewish community. The shop is a treasure trove of unusual whisky, a large portion of it kosher, making the whisky accessible for the local community. This included brands I have never seen before as well as certain expressions of existing bottles, tweaked to meet the needs of the consumer, such as the Glenrothes Alba Reserve.

It is the fleet-of-foot ability of some whisky brands to produce bottles for specific markets or specific customers such as this, which can give them not only an additional competitive advantage, but also a whole new support base of drinkers who will become advocates of the brand.

But finding some of these exotic expressions can be a real chore. Stumbling across things in a shop miles from where you live, is one way, magazines, auction sites and the internet is another way. It’s a little like finding new music you love. I have a list of people who I trust to supply me with top tips. Being an ex-A&R guy, this list includes top music managers and executives, artists themselves, music journalists, close friends and the radio.

Just this morning, I found myself engaged in some spring cleaning around my house and needed a soundtrack to turn to. I wasn’t keen on music I already knew, so Spotify was closed and I threw on, at random, the Don Lett’s show on BBC Radio 6 Music.

For our international readership out there, BBC 6 Music is the station you ‘retire to’ when you no longer want to listen to the latest chart hits by Lady Z or Jay Gaga (or is it Jay Z and Lady Gaga?) and when you’re not quite ready for talk radio about politics. In my house, BBC 6 Music is often known as BBC Smiths Music, due to the frequency of Morrisey-related songs on their playlist.

However, the advantage of the shows such as Letts and that of Craig Charles’ Funk & Soul Show is the fantastic mix of old music you’ve maybe never heard before and new tunes which aren’t quite of the sugary nature to make mainstream pop-radio.

Today alone, I discovered fantastic old tunes from acts such as Unit 4+2 and The Beat and brand new tracks from Austrailian band Last Dinosaurs and the absolutely awesome and brilliantly named Thao & The Get Down StayDown. If it hadn’t been for a bit of random website searching and radio listening, I wouldn’t have come across such a wonderfully aural experience. You can check it out for yourself right here:

One whisky which I can genuinely pinpoint as a real accidental discovery is the single cask Laphroaig which is produced exclusively for Highgrove House, the country estate of Prince Charles.

Basically, it seems, single cask versions of the Quarter Cask, these bottles come not only in themost amazing presentation boxes but, for something which is an official release of only around 250 bottles a time, it carries a price tag which is quite frankly madness: £59.95 (or an extra tenner for the massive presentation box).

A minimum age of 12 years old, this whisky doesn’t just provide exceptional value for the fact it is an official single cask bottling presented in a regal manner, but also for the fact that the whisky is bloody good. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that this is the best value official limited edition Laphroig on the market. And you can even pick them up at auction for only around £70 - £110. Even more madness.

But maybe this crown has now been stolen? Recently Laphroaig and Highgrove extended their relationship beyond the single cask, limited editions, to a more standard release. Bottled at 48% abv, this ‘ongoing’ release is just £35 a pop. What possible reason could I have not to order one and try it out? So I did...

Laphroaig – Highgrove Single Malt Scotch Whisky – NAS - 48% abv

Nose: The classic Laphroaig nose of peat smoke, lemons and chamois leather. There is more than a close lineage with some of these good, youngish Laphroaigs and some of the better end of the Port Ellen release, I think. This release has some spiced red apple in it as well as a big hit of vanilla custard and a hint of poached pear.

Palate: The palate does not disappoint from the nose, giving a full flavour of peat smoke, green apple this time but with the spices and vanillas as prominent as they are on the nose. Giving it some time, the peat really burns strongly across the mouth, but the wood influence gives some green veg depth which balances very nicely with the earlier sweet vanillas.

Finish: Well, more smoke, which isn’t a surprise at all. Behind it is hidden some more juice, freshly steamed veg and some Chinese herbs and spices. Strong green tea.

Overall: A delicious whisky, especially for the money. This is will make a fantastic gift for someone, but doesn’t quite hit the heights of the single cask editions from the same source.

Both of these releases from Laphroaig, and the above mentioned release from Glenrothes, go to show how strange, small releases from established distilleries and bottlers can be a real joy to discover (and a real bargain, too) if you look hard enough. The trouble is, finding them. Best of luck on your own personal search!

What a bloody full-on year so far. With barely time to find to feed oneself, Caskstrength have this week been getting stuck into some of the recent samples to pop through the letterbox - to be honest, trying to clear a path to our desks would be a big bonus.

One banger of a vintage that jumped out immediately is the recent 1977 release from Jura. The distillery has a very healthy vintage collection on its mantlepiece now and the 1976 release, which came out back in 2011, made our BiG shortlist such was its succulence.

This year, we find the distillery offering up something equally interesting and hopefully as majestic on the palate. The 1977 bottling is limited to 498 bottles and was originally matured in three first fill bourbon casks, before being finished for a further 12 months a ruby port pipe. The additional port character is not immediately visible, but look closely and you'll begin to see the slightest tinge of sunset red... wondering what it has done for the nose and palate of this 36 year old.

Wrapping up warm... and rocking' to a
1920's Jazz playlist... Lois Ridley.

Today's review will be made in the company of miss Lois Ridley, who, it turns out seems absolutely fascinated with the trombone-heavy 1920's ragtime jazz of Tiny Parham and Jack Teargarden. A recent discovery for me, thanks to the honourable Mr Sam Simmons, aka Dr Whisky. In fact, the more she listens the more I am convinced she's destined to be a future heartbreaker and sultry Jazz chanteuse... Gulp.

Jura - 1977 Vintage - 498 Bottles - 46% - £600 RRP

Nose: An intensely fruity aroma off the bat, with some big fat buttery vanilla pods, a faint whiff of some perfumed ruby port, oil of Olay, lip gloss and face powder (not mine, I may add), a little furniture polish and some restrained peat smoke (in the way only Jura knows how.) It's delicate, refined and very good indeed.

Palate: Almost tropical on the first sip, followed by sweet vanilla, white chocolate, a similar restrained peat smoke as to the nose, coconut, Caramac bars and more of that Olay/face powder. I imagine this is what its like kissing a 1920's jazz chanteuse, if they were nibbling on a Caramac between sets.

Finish: A drying note, but the vanilla continues to sing through, backdropped by a trio of coconut milk, creamy oak and perfumed peat.

Overall: Well, they keep plucking 'em from the relative obscurity of the Jura warehouse and thrusting them into the limelight... and boy, this one hit the high notes yet again. Who needs Stephen Poliakoff's 'Dancing On The Edge' when you can listen to this baby all night...

As modest type chaps, we seldom get any pleasure from the phrase 'we told you so'. But this time, we're going to bask in its relative glow... sort of...

FINALLY. Someone has decided to open a Tokyo-inspired micro bar in the centre of London, serving possibly our favourite drink in the last several years, the Mizuwari. After visiting a handful of these little gems in the Ginza district of Tokyo three years ago, we came back glowing, insistent that someone should replicate the idea in the capital. Three years went by and nothing. 'Come on!' we cried - 'Japanese whisky...Great ice...a packed vibe'y basement environment... excellent food next door and a bottle store for the keenest of customers...Someone please make this happen.'

Still nothing.

Then an email arrived. Suntory, purveyors of some of the most enlightening Japanese whiskies (and the clear market leader in the UK) had partnered up with a Japanese restaurant, taken over the downstairs bar and bought Ginza to Soho. Kampai!

So here it is, the opening week of Mizuwari, London's hottest bar, housed in the basement of Bincho, a rather swish Japanese restaurant on Old Compton Street. As you can imagine, first week open - and the place is packed to the rafters with the usual curious barflies, Japanese whisky connoisseurs and a few genuinely confused Japanese tourists, who happen to have inadvertently stumbled on this heaving joint and who probably feel they've stepped through a portal of some kind, back to Tokyo.

In every respects, Mizuwari is the real deal. Right down to the back bar, which surprisingly doesn't just feature Suntory whiskies (although Hibiki, Hakushu and Yamazaki are the predominant serves here), the glacial quality of the ice, the hand carved ice balls and the locked cabinet, with some choice bottlings reserved for those truly in the know (and with a few more ££s to spend.)

Resident bartender Zoran Peric is well known in London's Japanese whisky circles - a true gent and undoubted pioneer in helping to bring the spirit to the city's more discerning drinkers. His range of drinks feel authentic, but have a broader feel to them, especially the elderflower-influenced Mizuwari made using the lightly peated Hakushu 12yo and the fantastically simple Hibiki 12yo, served over an ice ball.

Folks. Your Mizuwari prayers have been answered.

Visit Mizuwari (in the basement of Bincho) 16 Old Compton St London, Greater London W1D 4TL 020 7287 9111 www.bincho.co.uk

Ahoy, Mateys!

Okay, we’ll admit it... the frequency of posts on Caskstrength.net has not been as regular as we would have liked so far in 2013. The number of samples piling up on our desk is beginning to resemble World of Whiskies at Heathrow T5 and we will, we promise, get rolling on these very soon, so expect a landslide of entertaining, educational and irreverent posts later this month and on in to the new year.

One of the reasons we’ve been slightly distracted recently is due to us working hard on getting everything sorted for our new bottling in our series of A – Z whiskies.

You’ll remember that we started our A – Z with a single cask Arran release in 2011 for 'A', followed up by last year’s BenRiach, for B. Both of which were highly limited and sold in a heartbeat... and so, as night follows day, our ‘B’ bottling will be followed by our ‘C’ offering.

In order to have this next release lined up, Neil and I have been up and down to Scotland, like a crazy whisky yoyo, making sure each and every detail of this next release has been covered and so far it’s looking ship shape and Bristol fashion... We’re very excited about it, so much so, that we’ve shot a little teaser video to give you a taste for what is on the way, with a slight twist: we’re not actually going to tell you what it is, just yet.

And this is where you step in.

If, after watching the video, you have an educated guess as to which ‘C’ we are bottling, then you can send us your guess, along with your age and country of residence, to carryon@caskstrength.net and we’ll pick TWO winning entries to send a free bottle to. Closing date for the competition is 15^th March 2013 and the usual T&C’s apply (over legal drinking age, etc).

Caskstrength And Carry On / Teaser Trailer from Caskstrength Creative on Vimeo.

(for those of you on our mailing list, the video can be found by clicking this link here)
(for those of you on an Android device, you can watch on youtube by clicking here)

The whisky will be officially released on March 27th at 10am though Master of Malt. We are yet to finalise the RRP, but as with the last two, will be priced at a level which makes us look a little bit mental...

Fish. A man who knows his knitware
as well as his weather.

Storms eh.

Here in the UK we get our fair share of them. From the notorious 'four seasons in a day' that complete the Islay experience, to a great summer's day out ruined by watching a rain soaked cricket pitch from the back seat of a fogged up Austin Maxi. As a nation, we're absolutely hopeless at preparing for or reacting to bad weather situations.

Consider the biggest and most blinding weather cock up in the BBC's living memory. The great Michael Fish, weatherman and pin-up to millions of beige-clad ladies of a certain age, casually poo-pooed the notion that a concerned caller from Wales might be able to correctly predict a hurricane was about to hit the UK and that we should all prepare for the worst. The immortal words 'don't worry, there isn't' will probably make their way onto Fish's gravestone, as his flippant remark was of course the start of probably the worst British storm in over 100 years. On October 15th 1987, millions of pounds worth of damage was caused when the said hurricane tore Britain a new a***hole, killing 18 people in the process.

25 years on and this monumental blooper is still part of the British psyche and even made its way into the opening ceremony of the Olympics, sealing Fish in some sort of crazy, imfamous-yet-guilt-laden time bubble for the rest of his life.

So when two sample bottles arrived on my desk late last week, I was a little perplexed. Both bottles were labelled 'Storm', but both were apparently completely different whiskies. One of them was a brand new blend from legendary whisky makers Cutty Sark and the other was the brand new, hotly anticipated release from Talisker.

For a second, I saw the words 'lawsuit' flash before my eyes, but then, thinking back about how hard it had been for the Fishmeister to predict the coming of his nemesis storm given all his credentials, I felt slightly more comfortable with the naming issue. You see, rather like the UK weather, here we have two very unique types of Storm.

Let's consider the new Cutty blend first. Cutty Sark Storm hasn't stepped a million miles away from the light, refreshing accessibility of the Original blend, but has a proportion of older single malts thrown into the mix to give a darker side to the whisky. Tropical storm, or full-on shipwreck stuff? Let's find out...

Cutty Sark - Storm - 40%

Nose: Some exceptionally well balanced spiced notes mingle with robust liquorice, a big wad of sherry soaked tweed, plenty of lighter orchard fruit (apples and ripe plums) and a waft of vanilla.

Palate: Lingering notes of overripe plum, vanilla, some star anise, oloroso sherry, an oaky dryness and creamy vanilla all vie for your attention.

Finish: The oak stays on the palate, but helps to deliver an additional last minute belt of dried spice.

Overall: This excellent blend has all the hallmarks of Cutty Original but ratchets up the intensity a few notches. It's bigger and a bit bolder than your average blend, but won't over complicate a classic drink like a whisky sour. In fact, we recently used Storm as part of an Indian food pairing, dashed with some bespoke bitters and the whole thing came together perfectly. On the Storm'ometer - this one is right up there.

Next up and a distinctly chilly breeze has started to blow.

Somewhere in the background, a lone dog begins to howl, foreseeing what is about to hit. The rusty weather vane on old McNabb's roof suddenly starts to twist around violently, screeching a tortured siren song to the storm gods. Children playing hopscotch outside on a chalk-etched path look up to the skies as it bruises ove... oh...

Whatever, you get the bloody picture. Yes. Kaboom...Talisker Storm has arrived and its fanfare is the cacophonous rattle of thunder emanating from one's Glencairn.

Talisker Storm doesn't carry an age statement and has been bought together from a variety of aged stock in both refill and rejuvenated casks, aiming to produce an altogether more brooding, powerful and intense whisky. According to the press release it will sit somewhere between the 10 year old and the Distillers Edition expressions from a price perspective.

Now seeing as I had a bottle of 10 year old open, I thought it prudent to see just where the new Storm sits. Producing a more powerful and intense Talisker is no easy feat, considering how massive a whisky the marvellous 10 year old is. The answer is that both whiskies are completely different. Talisker 10 year old does have a lighter burnt vanilla aroma on the nose and a slightly drier, more smoked bacon led note, with some baked apple and a lot of salty briny character. Storm on the other hand....

Talisker - Storm - 45.8%

Nose:...Initially, you're in similar waters to the 10 year old. Peppery, with a hint of smoked dried chipotle chilli, backed with some stewed prune/plum notes and then a big waft of morning-after bonfire embers. Then it opens up, with a younger, more fiery note, lemon zest, backdropped with some additional spiciness, anise playing the major role. It's deeper, richer and dare I say it, more well-rounded than the 10 year old. Not necessarily a bonus, considering how arrestingly brutal the 10 year old is but this is a far more interesting, thought provoking and complex a whisky.

Palate: Given a few minutes to settle down this is stupendous stuff. Fiery, hot, then rich and sweet, it has a surprisingly refreshing sweetness on the first sip with candied apple slices, vanilla custard and liquorice, before the palate gets bombarded with classic Talisker salty, hot chilli peat. There's more of the burnt bonfire stuff the further you get in, but it's all contained with a richer fruitiness. It has a greater viscosity in the mouth to the 10yo too, despite their identical strengths.

Finish: As the more ashy bonfire notes die away, you're left with lingering fruit, some drying oak and masses of woody spice, anise and liquorice.

Overall: Look. Talisker 10 year old is one of THE all time, undisputed classic whiskies, so this new expression has heaps of pressure on its shoulders to perform at the same level, let alone pip it to the post. But after two glasses of this (unusual for me in a tasting note situation) I have to say that this is an absolutely triumphant expression. No, it isn't more 'intense', 'visceral', 'powerful', 'assertive' (or any other unnecessary adjective) than the 10 year old. It's DIFFERENT. If you will, the tropical storm to the 10 year old's desert storm. Either way, on sheer whisky making skills, this will undoubtedly blow hurricane-sized holes in its other peaty opponents.

Now... if only Mr Fish had been able to try a glass before his ill-fated prediction. No way he'd have missed this storm coming.

News team.... Assemble!!

As the late Tommy Cooper said, 'I'm on a whisky diet. I've lost three days already.' This pretty much sums up the average Caskstrength week and there's so much to tell you about, gawd dang, but never enough days in the week to do it justice.

So here's a little round up of the week's most interesting news and reviews.

On Wednesday, The Macallan launched their next intrepid project, simply entitled The Flask - a collaboration with Californian designers Oakley (well known for their outdoor apparel and sunglasses.) The Flask is a modern day look at the fragility of the humble hip flask. Put it this way, if you're popping something exceptional inside your hip flask, the last thing you want to happen is for it to disintegrate in your suit pocket, or leak all over the insides of your handsome Bill Amberg luggage. So together, constructed with materials that resemble a bullet proof vest, the team have put together what is probably the toughest hip flask in the world.

And not known to faff about, The Macallan chaps have shot this fun video to show the hip flask in action. Clearly just another every day in Speyside, by the looks of things. More to come on this one in due course, so watch this space.... www.themacallan.com

Next up and today, Highland giants Glenmorangie have announced their brand new programme allowing the consumer to effectively choose the next whisky the company will bottle. Cask Masters is an innovative scheme whereby from an initial choice of three samples, one whisky will eventually be chosen, labelled and named all from within the forum of the general public. Camel by committee, or something extremely revealing about how powerful the consumer has now become in terms of dictating flavour profile? You decide, but we're looking forward to seeing the results. Having tasted the three samples we can vouch that they are all highly different expressions of Glenmo - one Burgundy cask, one Bordeaux and one Manzanilla, with our leaning towards the Bordeaux cask.

For more details on the programme, visit www.glenmorangie.com/caskmasters

On a similar tip, The Singleton have announced a foray into the unknown with a look at the way we perceive whisky through the senses. Professor Charles Spence and Condiment Junkie (man, do all these 'experiential'/ 'immersive' agencies focus group their frankly absurd names?) are recruiting 300 participants for a science experiment into the effect of environment on the taste of whisky. The Singleton Sensorium will run on Wednesday 20th and Thursday 21st March at 79 Beak Street in Soho.
Email laboratory@condimentjunkie.co.uk if you're interested in signing up.

And Finally... We have another whisk(e)y tasting coming up. Wednesday the 6th March at the Southbank Centre, this time covering the truly exciting world of Irish Whiskey. Some great whiskeys will be served including Redbreast 15yo and Green Spot, alongside a host of other goodies. If you fancy coming, drop us a line and we'll sort you out tickets. The tastings are usually only for members of the Southbank Centre, but we've opened it up to readers of this website too... info@caskstrength.net or click here: Irish Whiskey Tasting

That was the news. TTFN x

I always admire an independent spirit. Coming from a music business background, there are examples upon examples of people having a passion, starting a business and watching it grow and flourish, mainly through taking risks which major companies simply could not take.

Examples abound in the world of recorded music, from Berry Gordy’s post-Tamla project of Motown (whose logo I had the distinct pleasure of having on the back of my business cards for a while, opposite) through to Richard Branson’s signing of a young group called the Sex Pistols, who had been thrown on the scrapheap not once, but twice by both EMI and A&M. Onwards into the 1990’s, would Britpop have ever happened if Creation hadn’t taken a punt on a band from Manchester that no one else wanted to sign...?

Today, indie labels still do a fantastic job of bringing us albums from the likes of the Arctic Monkeys (Domino) and Adele (XL Records), to name but a few.

This isn’t to say that being a ‘major’ is a bad thing. Heck, I worked for a major record company for a long time and, contrary to popular belief, we signed a lot of acts which wouldn’t have seen the light of day otherwise, with varying degrees of success, it has to be said!

Taking a risk was what it was all about for me and sometimes you have to wear the scars of failure with pride. In fact, scars just show experience and experience shows learning. And we should never stop learning. So get used to having scars.

But as for Scotch, one of the greatest ‘indies’ of all time is Glenfarclas. Forget Dufftown, this is Motown with Glenfarclas’ production values more a ‘wall of flavour’ than a ‘wall of sound’.

Throwing out releases as they please, from ancient Family Casks, to small quarter-cask release (tbc), these guys have been at it for years, gaining respect from every quarter for their ‘because we can’ approach.

And the latest release from these little giants is a port cask offering, just for the UK and France. Only 480 bottles were taken from a cask laid down in 1981 and bottled in July 2012 and it is about to hit the shops now, with an RRP of £280.

Glenfarclas – Port Cask - 31 Years Old – 480 bottles – 42.8% ABV

Nose: Treacle toffee and hazelnuts are mixed in with the aroma of toasted pine nuts and olive oil. Over time in the glass (and this needs time) it opens up to reveal ginger ale, ginger snaps and sultanas.

Palate: Rich at first, with crème brulee topping of caramelised sugars, which finds its feet quickly, settling down to a creamy yet robust palate of ginger and lemon grass, with hints of red apples, summer fruits and, latterly, figs.

Finish: Spices abound with cinnamon and nutmeg the most prominent. White pepper springs forward to give a long and lingering finish to this warming dram.

Overall: Spices crash all around you in this dram, with ginger on the mid-tones and a creamy top end. A whisky which is at the same time both rich in flavour but not big and oily; more relaxed than that. A real drinker, not a sipper. Think Glenfarclas, but with added spice.

It’s great to see a distillery in the heart of Speyside (despite correctly having ‘Highland’ on their label) producing whisky of excellent quality yet at a price point which, quite frankly, puts others to shame. With a 30 year old at £123 here(yes, really) and a 40 year old at £274, here(honestly!) why would you not consider Glenfarclas to be the quintessential independent spirit.

With the weather turning a little colder this week, I've opted to stay in, reorganise a few things in our office drinks cabinet and nail down a few of the excellent samples that have recently turned up here.

And what better way than to shift any persistent chills than with a brace of new Port Askaigs from our friends at Speciality Drinks.

We first featured this bespoke Islay brand a few years back and the 17yo really got our clappers rattling. Classic blasts of salty, sooty peat smoke and a sweet creamy undertone seem to characterise where these bottlings are heading, despite the absence of any mention of the actual contents (we'd hazard a guess at Caol Ila, but could be wildly out)

But before these, (stay tuned for later this week) a special treat is in order. The chaps also included a sample of a very special Irish whiskey, exclusive to Speciality Drinks...and it's an absolute triumph.

The Midleton distillery is perhaps the largest distillery i've ever seen, providing whiskey for not only Jameson, but Red Breast, Green Spot, Powers and a plethora of other well known Irish whiskey brands - as well as a fine line in exclusive bottlings under the Midleton banner. Speciality have secured a single cask, distilled in 1991 and are releasing it a 54.1%. Are we excited by what we've just poured into the glass? Tobesuretobesuretobesure!!!

Speciality Drinks - Midleton - Single Cask Irish Whiskey - Distilled November 1991 - Bottled October 2012 - 54.1%

Nose: Quite simply, an absolute symphony of tropical aromas: Fresh mango, passion fruit, white peach, papaya, kiwi fruit and dried apricot lead first, then it's off into white chocolate, freshly picked mint leaves, swathes of vanilla, a hint of redcurrant and some woody, cedar/cigarbox notes. About as perfect a nose as i've ever experienced in an Irish whiskey.

Palate: The strength is there at first, but it doesn't get in the way of a continuation of the fresh fruit: more ripe peaches, a touch of pineapple, creamy vanilla, stewed apple with a dusting of anise and cinnamon. The flavours hit in waves; first very fresh, then juicy, then creamy. One criticism unfairly levelled at Irish whiskey is that it perhaps lacks a certain amount of complexity or richness when compared to a similarly aged single malt from Scotland. After a few sips of this all I can say is bollocks to that. It's simply sensational.

Finish: As the fruits die away, a distinct pepperiness develops, alongside the creamy notes and perhaps even a touch of dried ginger.

Overall: Contender for the best Irish whiskey i've ever tasted? Without a doubt. The slight downside here is that it costs a considerable sum - £235. But for a 20 year old whisk(e)y of this calibre, I can think of a number of similarly priced alternatives (Scotch, Japanese or American) that wouldn't even start to scrape the surface of how unique this is.

If this is too rich for you, fret not. Midleton's Barry Crockett Legacy will set you back £100 less than this and a bottle of RedBreast 15 year old delivers similar flavours in spades and will cost you £67.

According to the bean counters and statisticians, Irish whiskey is the fastest growing dark spirit in the world right now. Hard to argue with that when you have flavours as triumphant as these.

Here it is folks... Caskstrength & Carry On 'C'

Hello tender folk. Two years ago, Caskstrength embarked on a fairly ambitious adventure. Looking at the landscape of the whisky business, we set a long term plan to try and bottle something whisk(e)y-related from every letter of the alphabet. We began with Arran and the reaction to the whisky was certainly overwhelming. So we moved on to BenRiach, which was equally well received. Yippee we thought.

Next up and our search for a suitable 'C' was a little bit tougher. Whilst there are no shortage of distilleries beginning with the letter C, none of them felt quite right and we decided to focus our attention on the world of blends. Let's not forget folks that blended whisky is FAR more important in the grand scheme of things than the humble single malt. In fact, without the buoyancy of blended whisky internationally, many of our favourite distilleries would simply cease to exist. As a result we feel that it's hugely important to take a sledgehammer and smash the snobbery against blended whisky squarely in the face, banishing it to the world of the beard (ok, not all beards), the sock/sandal combo and the anally retentive whisky bore, who won't drink anything else save for the most obscure single casks.

So with all that in mind, we decided to approach one of the most popular and enduring names in blended whisky to see if they'd be up for letting us have a tinker with our own version. Amazingly, they said yes and thus began our fantastically educational journey into how to put together a limited edition Cutty Sark Blended Whisky. Below is a short film giving some background into how much fun we had putting this together.

Caskstrength 'Reveal' Video from Caskstrength Creative on Vimeo.

**for those of you reading this via our mailing list, you can lick here for the video**

Our Caskstrength & Carry On Cutty Sark will be officially unveiled on the 25th March and on sale from the 27th March, once again through our dear friends at Master Of Malt. Bottled at 51.4% (UK 90 Proof) the release ties in with the 90th anniversary of the blend, which was officially born on the 23rd March 1923. Just 500 bottles have been blended by Caskstrength alongside the totally brilliant Cutty Master Blender, Kirsteen Campbell.

The price for this limited edition, high strength blend will be around £35 RRP and the first 100 bottles sold will come with this attractive-yet-functional-Cutty-coloured-double sided-tote-bag AND a special commemorative newspaper we've had printed to mark the release! Can't say fairer than that, can we!!

As this is a relatively robust whisky (cask strength, in a sense) it works well with a dash of water, in a cocktail, as a highball or just on its own, hopefully proving that the blend is the all-round superstar of the whisky world.

We hope you enjoy drinking it as much as we have putting it together.

Cheerio, Neil & Joel

The great American comedian, Ernie Kovacs once quipped that “Television is a medium, for it is neither rare nor well done.”

This truism lives on today, with a plethora of dross gumming up your TV channels, making it harder and harder to find something to watch of value and substance on a Saturday night.

As much as television is a neutral medium, being only as good or as bad as the programs it shows, we still hanker after TV’s of sheer quality, build and technological advancement. Thinner, brighter, higher definition and 3D... all of these are in our mind when we come to replace the goggle-box, upgraded from hiding in the corner of our livingroom, to pride of place on the main wall.

The same could be said for the humble hipflask: a neutral device which is only as good as the liquid inside it, previously hidden away in a dark drawer, only to see daylight when being filled, or swigged from.

Until now, that is... this has all changed, thanks to the chaps over at The Macallan who, in partnership with the top designers at Oakley, have created the ultimate ‘putting-the-hip-into-hipflask’ product.

Almost indestructible, this tough little number is limited to just 550 units with 400 of the US version coming with its own liquid, in the form of a 22 year old single cask known simply as The Flask, matured in Sherry seasoned American oak.

The Macallan – The Flask Edition – 400 bottles only - Single Cask – 43% abv

Nose: A rich nose of vanilla fudge, butterscotch, milk chocolate and runny honey jump from the glass, backed with some heather notes and cracked black pepper.

Palate: Honeycomb, royal jelly and quince jam are backed with fresh ginger, brown sugar and tinned apricots. A hint of peaches on the back of the palate.

Finish: Dry vermouth. Soft and smooth, this gives great tropical fruits and earthy moss on the finish, with a touch of pineapple / upside down cake.

Overall: vanilla and tropical fruit are the dominant flavours here. A very good expression of The Macallan.

As lovely as this whisky is, its partner-in-crime, its bouncer, the Commader-in-Chef of whisky is what comes with it: The Flask. Many of you will have seen the video which Oakley Inc, the architects of Flask, shot to show off the robust nature of this item (if you’ve not seen it, click here) and we have one to give away.

Yes! Another competition! Hot off the back of our last giveaway, we are offering one of these Macallan Flasks which retails at £600 (sadly without the whisky) to one lucky winner who can answer the following question:

"In which Oscar-winning 2012 action film was The Macallan featured?"

Answers on an email to: themacallan@caskstrength.net by 31^st March. As usual, T&C’s apply and, despite there being no liquid involved, you must be over the legal drinking age in your country to enter.

Best of luck. If you win, this could be you... if you have a supercar, friends with supercars, a helicopter and a day at a race track. Well, one out of the five isn't a bad start.

Ahoy there, mateys! After much to-ing and fro'ing from Port to Starboard we are delighted to let you know that our very own Cutty Sark blended whisky has set sail and is released TODAY!!!

Ship-shaped and bristol fashion... it's the
Caskstrength Cutty Sark

For those of you who don't know about our endeavours, this special limited edition of Cutty Sark is bottling 'C' in our quest to release the A-Z of Whisky (after sell out releases from Arran and BenRiach)
The Cutty Sark we've blended under the watchful eye of Master Blender Kirsteen Campbell is the official release to coincide with the 90th anniversary of the blend, which started life in the Mayfair offices of Berry Bros & Rudd on the 21st March 1923.

We've blended just 500 bottles of this whisky, adhering to the classic Cutty house style of an easy drinking-yet-flavoursome blend. However, we've snuck in a little light smoke, alongside keeping the strength way up there - so much so that it is bottled at 51.4% or 90 UK proof in homage to the 90th anniversary. All bottles are hand signed by our good selves and the lovely Kirsteen.

The first 100 bottles sold will include a fantastic double sided screen printed tote bag (in Cutty yellow of course!) and a very special limited edition newspaper that we've had printed especially, with exclusive interviews, page three stunnas, cocktail recipes and all the usual chitter chatter you'd expect in a tabloid called The Daily Cargo.

The whisky will be available exclusively from Master Of Malt priced at £34.95... Click here to buy or follow the link: http://www.masterofmalt.com/whiskies/cutty-sark/caskstrength-and-carry-on-whisky/

Happy sailing folks and happy birthday Cutty Sark...

We're big fans of death-defying and cunning stunts at Caskstrength. But sadly, as our recent trip to Talisker Distillery (more on this later this week) confirmed, we're pretty rubbish at anything that remotely resembles the merest hint of danger. Just sitting in a rubber dinghy on route to the jetty in front of the distillery was about as pant-wettingly terrifying as it gets for us, especially when you watch helplessly as a man hauls your laptop case with a dodgy catch up the 30-foot ladder on a precariously tied rope.

So when we heard the news that an actual-proper-death-defying-cunning-stunt was to happen at another distillery next week, we felt compelled to write about it, from the safety of our front room.

The popularity of TV escapologists has increased tenfold over the past few years thanks to the sterling work of the likes of David Blaine, The Incredible Mr Goodwin and El Fatisimo, the larger than life Mexican escapologist, who blazed a trail by eating his way out of a massive fruit loaf, whilst actually being baked alive on Mexican TV. He survived, but not without suffering severe indigestion and a slightly singed cape. What is it that compels these modern day icons to risk everything in such incredibly treacherous circumstances? Money, fame, girls and of course, the product endorsements.

El Fatisimo was paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for his audacious eating stunt and also claimed the bragging rights to literally hundreds of scantily clad groupies. But according to the escapologist's management, the real reason was the truckloads of Soreen fruit loaves delivered on a daily basis to his waterfront apartment.

This was the very motivation that Jean Rholoris needed when planning his next escapology assignment. And next wednesday, the world will be watching one particular distillery in Speyside very closely - waiting, wondering, hoping and praying that his unprecedented stunt will bloody well come off.

Rholoris is well known on the escapologist scene, but not because of his success rate. On the contrary, he is perhaps more well known for being one of the worst escapologists in the history of the profession. David Braine is well documented in his criticism of Rholoris, saying recently that '(he) couldn't eat his way out of a chocolate straitjacket', evening going as far to condemn his failed attempts as 'nothing more than internet sensationalism.'

Many would crumble under such criticism, but Jean Rholoris is clearly made of tougher stuff- (indeed, more than a chocolate straitjacket.)

His latest attempt will see him decamp to the ever publicity-hungry GlenBridge Distillery for a feat so death-defying, (and some would say foolish) that even his knockers have pricked up their ears.

As a lifelong lover of single malt whisky, Rholoris was drawn to the idea of the synergy between the spirit and the oak casks used in its production. 'To the untrained eye, each cask could be seen as a dank, depressing, woody prison for this free-wheeling spirit,' said Rholoris, 'but I see them as a challenge. Each year, like in my favourite film 'The Great Escape', a small amount of spirit successfully escapes its oaky confines and this has inspired me to have a go too.'

After making the necessary arrangements with Malcolm MacMichaels, distillery manager at GlenBridge, a special 650 litre cask has been commissioned for the escape attempt. Rholoris has insisted that the cask be seasoned with the finest Canadian Ginger Ale first, as any dryness in the staves could prove fatal. Once Rholoris is securely manacled inside, the cask will be filled with 65.3% ABV new make spirit distilled in the traditional column stills used at the GlenBridge distillery and the cask hoisted to the regulation 16.3 ft in the distillery's traditional dunnage warehouse - the optimum height for maturation/escapism.

Adjudicating body for the Scotch whisky business the SWA have stipulated that without breathing apparatus, Rholoris will have no more than three minutes and one second to make his escape, to legitimately be recognised as victorious.

An artist's impression of Jean Rholoris
before his death-defying stunt

Even David Braine has given Rholoris his support, despite his reservations. 'Yes, he's a rubbish escapologist, but you can't fault the man for trying something fresh, vibrant and crowd pleasing,' he pointed out. But he also revealed 'I had several conversations with him last week, pleading with him to abandon the idea of having the cask set on fire during the attempt, which is just downright stupid.'

As Jean Rholoris goes through the final preparation stages (immersing himself in his bath at home, full of whisky) one can't help but feel a sense of camaraderie for this brave individual. If he succeeds, his name will no doubt become legendary - not only just in the whisky business. But controversially, if he fails, succumbing to his spirity confines, all is not lost. GlenBridge have said they plan to release a limited edition bottling from the contents of the single cask, regardless of the success of the stunt or not, thus sealing the escapologist's fate either way and securing his place on the many lucrative whisky auction sites around the globe.

So wherever you happen to be next Wednesday at 2pm, stop for a second and give Jean Rholoris your thoughts and prayers and perhaps raise a glass of something special to the sporting endeavours of this remarkable (if slightly mad) character.

Take a second to think... when was the last time you did something really meaningful with your old man? I'm not talking about having a conversation about football, cars, golf, politics or whisky, but actually took the time out to cook a perfect steak, carve something out of wood together, catch a fish, build a wardrobe or jam for a while on your guitars.

Reason I ask, is that last Saturday, whilst my wife, mother and daughter were out shopping, my father and I decided to bang out a few old Stones riffs, reminisce about some classic albums and enjoy a couple of decent drams before lunch. It was a real spare of the moment thing, but something which reminded me how much I missed spending time with my dad - now we live nearly 150 miles apart.

Papa Ridley is an extremely creative and practical man. Not only has he been performing in bands for over 50 years but has always been my go-to guy for repairing my collection of old guitars, amplifiers and anything electronic, despite how knackered it may appear. I realised just how great and supremely practical a dad he was on Saturday April 5th, 1994 - amazingly 19 years ago today when, together, we built a speaker cabinet in his garage from some old plywood and some throw away speakers he had lying around.

Reason I specifically remember this date is that a little after 1pm, a BBC news report came through on the radio we had on in the background that Kurt Cobain had just topped himself, leaving me as a teenage fan in a state of utter disbelief. That speaker cabinet has subsequently been used for nearly the past two decades and whilst I could never quite conjure up the screaming guitar tones that Kurt used to, it still reminds me of a symbolic moment bonding with my father over music. To be honest, my dad never much cared for Nirvana, but felt compelled to help me as best he could in educating me with his own superb record collection.

Now where am I going with all this? Well, yesterday a rather interesting bottle of bourbon arrived at our office, fresh from Messrs. Russell & Russell. I am of course talking about Wild Turkey's Jimmy and Eddie, the remarkable father and son combo, who have between them a collective 90 years of experience making bourbon. Now, if there's anyone who can probably talk about creating something meaningful with their father, it's Eddie Russell. And I'd be willing to bet that pretty high up on that list would be Russell's Reserve, the duo's brand new small batch, single barrel bourbon.

Created using a selection of alligator charred casks, (the heaviest level of char available) the Russells earmark a number of these casks for their Reserve selection, this being the latest in the line. The result is a whiskey that is bottled at 110 proof. Despite there being no indications as to the age of the spirit (a six year old RR rye and a ten year old RR bourbon have also been released prior to this) doing some research shows up that there are around 800 bottles of this new Russell's Reserve. Unfortunately, for those outside of the US, you may have to wait a little while to source one - there are no plans to release in Europe, but the odd bottle might float its way via the usual channels (ala Whisky Exchange or Master Of Malt etc)

So have the Russell's joint endeavours been in vain? More's the point, like my father and I - have they hit a few bum notes during their jam together? Let's find out...

Russell's Reserve - Small Batch Single Barrel Bourbon - 110 Proof - 750ml - $49.99

Nose: A wonderful spicy, peppery rye note greets you initially, with fat vanilla pods, golden syrup, a hint of cedar wood, toasted orange peel and a little liquorice/anise note. At 55%/110 proof you'd expect there to be some prickly notes, but everything is refined, soft and velvety. Given time in the glass, some plump raisin notes emerge alongside some vanilla pipe tobacco and a hint of flat cola. It has an effortless about it often seen in single barrel bourbons that will really appeal to the single malt drinker in spades.

Palate: Oily and very spicy, with lots of liquorice, clove, white pepper, sweet vanilla, a touch of brazil nut and marzipan. This really doesn't need any water, but if you're planning to add some, be gentle: too much will ruin the oily/spicy balance completely.

Finish: Long lingering notes of drying aromatic wood, liquorice and a wonderful creaminess. A second finish with some darker earthiness emerges too, with tobacco leaf notes and dark chocolate nestling on the back palate.

Overall: This is a stupendous bourbon, make no mistake. It's refined, controlled and supremely complex. Lord knows what age it is, but age really doesn't matter in this instance. What the Russell clan have done here is triumphant. One thing's for sure, it's certainly inspired me to spend more time with my old man...

The Beatles: very much considered to be one of the greatest bands in musical history. Stop anyone in the street, anywhere in the world and chances are that they’ll know a tune or two by the Fab Four.

Correctly lauded for writing some of the best songs of the 20^th Century, their legacy of hits will live on as long as we consume music which, given the example shown to us by the past, will be forever.

I studied business at university, with a focus on the music industry (involving interesting aspects such as copyright law.... *yawn*) and whenever I think of the Beatles, one decidedly ignorant chap from those days springs to mind.

He claimed that any band who can release 12 studio albums of original material, plus b-sides, in just a 10 year history, “would write something decent, if you put that many records out”.

This man was, of course, an idiot.

Keeping a flow of consistently high quality output and cementing your place in modern popular culture as a result, is not easy. The road to longevity is scattered with those who burnt brightly on their debut album, but were unable to keep up their quality and consistency. Take a bow Kula Shaker.

Seemingly as busy as the Beatles, those chaps up at the Highland Park distillery in Orkney have been hunkering down to release not just one, nor two, not even three new products, but a whopping nine new whiskies this year, thrusting them into the world in support of their ever-present core range.

Hidden away in two European markets, two new little releases were quietly being consumed by the Swedes (who get a cask strength, 56% abv, no age statement offering, pictured above left) and the Germans and the Dutch, who both get a tasty new 10 year old. Both these releases come in a nifty little 35cl bottle.

Highland Park – 10 Years Old – Germany and Holland only – 35cl - 40% ABV

Nose: This is certainly on the peater side of the Highland Park spectrum. In fact it is on the coastal side, too with peat, sea salt, chamois leather, some grapefruit and a hint of tinned peach coming through on the nose.

Palate: Sweet and almost heathery, with some peat (not as much as the nose) which gives a good basis to some notes of lemon meringue pie, tinned pineapple chunks and salted caramel milk chocolate.

Finish: short with a punch of peat and salt, lingering elements of the lemon meringue pie and then some light toffee tones.

Overall: At under €20, I wish we had an offering like this in the UK (but I’m sure the Taxman would have something to say about this). 35cl bottles would be a great way to get malt-ready drinkers into the category. For the money, a fantastic offering which showcases the lighter end of Highland Park very well indeed. I wonder if they’ll do one for Norway, matured in ‘Norwegian Wood’...

Next up for Highland Park is a complete overhaul of their travel retail range. Duty Free is a major area for whisky and Highland Park has taken the bold move to release six new products over the year, under the banner “The Warrior Series”.

The six bottles are all named after famed Viking warriors, with the first three of Svein, Einar and Harald all hitting the shelves soon in your local airport, priced at €40, €53 and €70 and increasing in European oak influence as you move up through the range. A further three will be released later this year.

Highland Park – Harald – 40% abv - 70cl

Note: A mix of around 50% European oak and 50% American oak

Nose: A hit of peat at first, backed with soft vanilla ice cream, some fresh ginger and then spices of cinnamon, cardamom and fresh pine.

Palate: There is a lightness about the palate without it being thin, shown again the vanilla but also underpinned with the peat smoke, spices and some figs and toffee.

Finish: Smoke and spice give way to dried figs and cloves.

Overall: Again, a smokier whiskies than I would normally give Highland Park credit for, but this does not unbalance a palate which gives good flavours and a nose which packs a punch.

Finally, Highland Park have added the second release to their Valhalla Collection in the form of the shape-shifter Loki.

Hot on the heels of Thor, last year’s sell-out first release from this innovative collection, Loki has been developed to mirror the characteristics of this Norse spirit. A dark and mysterious character, Loki was known for his mischievous tricks which he would play on the other gods, often getting himself into much trouble with the other residents of Asgard.

The whisky itself shows off an age statement of 15 years, comes at the higher-than-normal strength of 47.8% abv and is limited to 21,000 bottles around the world, weighing in at £120.

Highland Park – Loki – 15 Years Old – 47.8% abv – 70cl – £120 here

Nose: Hummm… there is some peat smoke in there, but it’s really hidden behind some toffee apple, a hint of mango and passion fruit and some boiled sweets. I’d be hard pressed to pin this down as a Highland Park from the nose.

Palate: Ah! There we go. A hit of peat and the tropical fruits come rushing through, leaving a peppery and leathery finish of cloves and antique furniture. This is an odd one, with the palate almost flipping the nose on its head.

Finish: A sweeter finish, with the smoke right on the pack of the palate and a cinnamon spice ending.

Overall: A very strange sensation, this whisky is almost like three different Highland Parks, from the nose, the palate and the finish. Very drinkable, this is a different whisky to the earlier Thor release (which was bigger and more powerful on the palate) as this dances around, being hard to pin down but in a good. If you buy a bottle, open it and drink it.

So a busy start to 2013 for the most northerly distillery in Scotland. I’m sure tasting all these whiskies before they were bottled proved to be a Hard Day’s Night in Kirkwall, but it all really seems to have Come Together for a Helter Skelter ride of flavours and stories.

Like that regular visit to the doctor, every year, Scotch whisky gets a bit of a health check from the folks at the SWA: assessing its international performance, growth, uncharacteristic hotspots and areas of concern.

And like a thoroughbred race horse, (but not 'Seabass', judging by my crumpled betting slip from Saturday's Grand National) Scotch appears to be in an even ruder health than it was this time last year. Exports are up once again with the 2012 figures showing the the Scotch whisky business worth a staggering £4.3 billion, an increase of 87% over the last decade. New markets such as South America have seen increases as much as 14% since last year's figures and the USA sits at the top of the whisky fountain with imports breaking through the £700 million mark for the first time.

Despite this, the volume of Scotch whisky exports actually declined by 5%, demonstrating that consumers are looking more towards higher end, luxury and premium products amongst their blends and single malts.

Hot off the back of such positivity comes the news from Diageo, that they are investing substantially in building a brand new (as yet un-named) distillery in Teaninich with the capacity to produce up to 13 million litres of spirit, alongside expansion of the existing Teaninich and Mortlach distilleries to practically double capacity. Heady days indeed. This is a clear indication that we are living in an era where Scotch (TM) is as industrious and as bankable a commodity as one is likely to find.

Of course, some people have a hard time with the fact that whisky has been taken out of the hands of the privileged few and pushed outwards to the masses, which is of course an absurd sentiment. Yes, we're no longer going to find 1970's single cask Ardbegs for the price of KFC Bargain Bucket, but travel virtually anywhere around the globe and you'll find a decent whisky behind the bar. To be a continued global success, whisky needs to keep looking forward, not reminiscing about the 'good old days', with wizened hands clawing onto a single cask Port Ellen, bottle number 1 of 12.

As Oliver Klimek recently wrote on his excellent Dramming blog, the whisky business does not exist simply to provide whisky geeks with single cask bottlings. To be frank, without the likes of internationally renowned blends, it would simply cease to exist at all.

So onto one of those blends. Johnnie Walker is perhaps the most ubiquitous whisky, if not brand name in the world. The recent activity in the Walker camp - from the introduction of Platinum, to the extra smoky Double Black, alongside the Director's Blends have demonstrated that the brand continues to walk at a particularly spritely pace. Now more recently, the Striding Man has decided to take a sojourn abroad with the release of the Explorers' Club Collection; a trio of bottlings launched exclusively into Global Travel Retail, now a lucrative market all of its own right. We reviewed the inaugural bottling, Spice Road, at Christmas and at a shade under £30 were hugely impressed by its balance of spice, seasoned oak, dried fruit and classic Walker smoke. So when the next bottling, Gold Route hit the shelves we were intrigued. Would the thread of Walker excellence remain? The price is approximately twice that of the Spice Route at around £60 or $95, so expectations are high, all things considered.

Johnnie Walker - Gold Route - 40% - 1 Litre

Nose: Soft fudge, freshly sliced ginger, a lighter sooty note coupled with a touch of medicinal peat, vanilla sponge cake and fondant icing. With a little water, a more creamy coconut note emerges, alongside a welcoming gentle woodsmoke and some very subtle orchard fruit notes, tinned pineapple and condensed milk. Very good indeed.

Palate: Sooty and a little grainy at first, with some tingling liquorice notes, a malted cereal sweetness a vanilla fudge creaminess, some mint humbugs and zesty lemons. In fact, the mouthfeel is quite sharp and zesty, the further in you travel. Some lingering smoke on the death rounds out a feisty palate indeed. With water, the fruitiness starts to come to the fore, with icing sugar-dusted red apple, a touch of Juicy Fruit chewing gum and an aniseed ball, thrown in for good measure.

Finish: Lemon zest, a touch of anise and a lingering mintiness nestle alongside something slightly grainy.

Overall: Whilst this isn't lacking in stature, in my opinion it perhaps lacks some the more direct notes offered by the Spice Road. It has some subtle spice of its own, which sits alongside the creaminess and definitely benefits from a few drops of water to really coax the beast of complexity from its cave. The question is, would one buy a bottle of this, over two bottles of Spice Road? I'm not sold yet, but one suspects that like life's more challenging constitutionals, there is more to this walk than first meets the eye...

There is a lot of talk in the whisky business about single casks. One off, limited edition offerings which give a snapshot of 550 litres of spirit from one day at a distillery, left to its own devices to mature away. Once deemed ready, it is removed, bottled and sold, usually for a higher margin than those other whiskies either sent off to become join a blend, or those chosen to stay as part of a single malt release from said operator.

However, putting together a blend is not easy work, as we recently discovered when constructing out limited edition offering for our A – Z of whiskies, Cutty Sark (available here for £34.95). The previous two releases we did, from Arran and BenRiach, were both single cask offerings and, it has to be said, choosing them was a much easier task than the time we spent in the blending room, learning from Master Blender Kirsteen Campbell.

Making up over 90% of the global Scotch whisky market, blends are works of art, skilfully constructed from a multitude of different whiskies. Single casks, however are almost a freak of nature, chosen as they are for the exceptional quality and bottled in naturally limited quantities, due to the very nature of the size of the cask (minus the Angels’ share, of course).

As such, single casks tend to be the domain of either the independent bottler who has stocks of whisky lying around, or as one-off special releases from the distillery owners themselves, often carrying a hefty price tag.

But there is one distillery that should be praised for releasing a consistent stream of single casks. Nestled away in the heart of Speyside, on the road out of Dufftown towards Craigellachie, sits The Balvenie.

Having recently enhanced both their core range (adding the 17 Year Old Double Wood which we reviewed here) and their offerings in Duty Free (which I saw last week in Edinburgh Airport on their first day of release- and very nice they look too, being ‘triple casks’, a marrage of three styles of cask), they’ve also turned their eyes to their single barrel offering, expanding the range from just one at 15 years old to two, adding a lower age version, at 12 years old.

The original 15 years old is taken from a refill ex-bourbon cask, where as this new 12 years old is given a lift by the use of whisky exclusively from first fill bourbon barrels. Numbered and labelled, there are due to be no more than 300 bottles drawn from any one cask. Unlike the 15 years old, it will not carry a date of distillation and bottling, which is a shame.

Now, a distillery releasing single casks is nothing new. But a distillery doing single casks as part of a core range is fairly unusual. Even more remarkably, a distillery offering these out at prices such as £57 for the 15 years old and £44 for the 12 years oldreally is madness.

The Balvenie – 12 Years Old – Single Barrel – First Fill American Oak – 47.8% abv

Note: this is a single cask, therefore the tasting notes will be for this specific bottling (300 only or less) but will provide an overall direction of where this whisky will sit in the core range from The Balvenie.

Nose: Over ripe bananas, runny honey, heather, malted milk biscuits and a hint of toasted pine nuts and basil. Vanilla and apricot are found, too with some pear drops. Very fruity and light.

Palate: The apricots really spring through at the front of the palate with some fantastic red and green apples, the pear drops again, then rich runny honey and all underpinned with a fantastic oily nature. Very delicious.

Finish: Fairly short, with some spices (cinnamon baked apple) and a big hit of vanilla.

Overall: This is a very good whisky. As per the note at the top, each batch will change and vary slightly. The 5cl we have was provided by the PR company and doesn’t carry the batch number on it, so we can’t tell you which one it was, which is a real shame as it means both you, dear reader, and I are unable to head out to buy this particular batch... boooo.

This is a fantastic new offering from The Balvenie. With a line up that now seems to run as a 1, 2, 3 (1- single barrels / 2- double wood releases with two wood style influences / 3- the ‘triple cask’ duty free offerings, giving three styles of cask influence), their range is really developing very nicely.

Having releasing a younger edition of the single barrel from a first fill American oak cask, I only hope they look to do an older one, maybe from a barrel made closer to this small island. But who knows. For the time being, I just wish this 5cl sample was 14 times bigger...

Oh the irony. In both our professional and enthusiast capacity, we've visited a huge number of distilleries across the globe: from tiny craft operations in the middle of no where, making some seriously unusual hooch, to powerhouse many-million-litre industrial sites, which help to form the heart of some of the best loved spirits brands in the world. However, in spite of all this we've never visited perhaps one of the most celebrated and popular destination distilleries in Scotland - Talisker, so thought it high time we get our act together.

Getting to Talisker is an eventful experience in itself. If you're driving, it will take you near on six hours from Edinburgh. Of course, that's factoring in the obligatory lunchtime stop at the Green Welly in Tyndrum for a Scotch pie and a thorough wallet emptying in their whisky shop. But to say the drive is arresting would be doing it a disservice. Dependent on the season, the snow capped peaks and colourful fields of heather exemplify Scotland's bleak beauty. It's no wonder that Sam Mendes decided to choose the breathtaking drive through Glencoe (which you take in on the way up to Skye) for one of the integral scenes in Skyfall.

Would you accept a lift from this Skipper?

The other option is to take to the high seas and assuming you can find a suitably friendly captain, some Breton caps and oil skins, we'd wholeheartedly recommend the nautical approach. Here, as you approach the jetty in Carbost, the 30ft climb up the rusting ladder is particularly bracing, especially as you watch your belongings being precariously hoisted up on a piece of rope alongside you.

The payoff of course (apart from the unbelievable sea views, seal spotting and learning the ropes) is the distillery itself. Whilst not 'chocolate box' in the traditional distillery sense (a la Lagavulin or Strathisla) Talisker has a brooding sense of importance, with truly manifests itself in the spirit produced at the distillery. At one point Talisker was triple distilled and wandering round the still house (which was rebuilt after a fire in 1960) the five stills (two wash, three spirit) are a formidable sight, knowing the character of what runs from them. If you're still wondering why Talisker is such an iconic distillery pop outside to see the worm tubs in action and then you'll finally get the sense of why it has a huge international reputation for being a powerhouse of flavour.

A particularly wiggly worm.

Now, we mentioned that Talisker is a popular destination; not just for whisky pilgrims, but also tourists too. Annually, Talisker receives over 60,000 visitors, which, although is a spectacular number, has presented a (nice) problem to Diageo in terms of properly providing the full Talisker 'experience'. As a result, the visitors centre has just received a welcome £1 million facelift, turning an already successful operation into something highly inspirational.

As we arrived, builders and designers were putting the final touches to the tasting rooms (which are neatly hidden behind pivoted wooden beams) and the wave-inspired opening display. Impressive stuff indeed and very pleasing to see such investment in the home of an undeniably heavyweight whisky brand. But what about the liquid?

Well, as you will have seen if you follow our other posts, the whisky itself hasn't been neglected. Like buses, along comes two new expressions in the Talisker range. Storm, which we reviewed recently has proved to be controversial addition, with some quarters arguing that as a non age statement whisky, it is a step in the wrong direction from the much loved Ten Year Old. But for us, that's exactly the point. In the increasing world of no age statement whiskies, personality is absolutely paramount and in our opinion, Storm is rammed full of brooding intensity and youth, playing alongside some spicy fruit and classic Talisker bonfire chilli smoke.

Box ticked. We like.

Next up comes Port Ruighe. Taking its title from an old gaelic name for one of the larger port towns on the Isle of Skye, this expression, like the Distillers Editions has been additionally matured after its time in ex-American and European refill casks. The final destination is rather aptly a port cask, which supposedly gives a distinct fruitiness to the proceedings. Like Storm, Port Ruighe does not carry an age statement, so we're particularly keen to find out exactly where it sits alongside its tempestuous brother and the more well-known Talisker Distillers Edition (which carries a vintage and is also extra matured, but in an Amoroso sherry cask)

Talisker - Port Ruighe - 45.8% - 70cl

Nose: Youthful, a little spirity, but with plenty of zest and bite. Undiluted, you'll find masses of white pepper, a hint of spicy stewed apple, some wet cardboard and black treacle. Given time, a little dried ginger emerges and perhaps a touch of earthy truffle oil. With water, a dark caramel note sets in alongside a hint of fruity perfume.

Palate: Hot and very fiery with familiar Talisker smoked chilli, hickory and a sweetness (icing sugar) hitting first. A slightly charred woody note develops alongside, developing further with the addition of water- which this whisky really benefits from.

Finish: Oaky notes, some very dry smoke and a hint of dried fruit.

Overall: Enjoyable, but very much reliant on water for the full effect. Here's the rub. Talisker has set such a high benchmark with several of its existing expressions, which are now hewn into the fabric of what are known by many as 'classic' whiskies. Port Ruighe is a solid enough contender and a very direct one at that, full of youthful bite, but in our opinion it lacks a little of the finesse of the Distillers Edition, the Ten Year Old and now the mighty Storm. That's not to say it doesn't have its own place. Right now however, we're left wondering exactly where that might be.

For More information on visiting Talisker, visit: Visit Scotland or The Classic Malts websites.

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