Indholdsfortegnelse for Fall 2016 i Whisky Advocate

The Scots call it a ‘half and half,’ or sometimes phonetically, a ‘hauf ‘n’ hauf.’ By whatever pronunciation, it is a half-pint of beer, typically an ale and traditionally a dark and malty one, paired with a dram of whisky, usually with the flavor emphasis placed on the latter and the onus for refreshment on the former. They are not combined, as sometimes happens with the American Boilermaker, but sipped and savored alongside one another. Ordinarily, the partnership is not something long considered and the result is perfectly acceptable, if seldom dramatic. I have found, however, that with a modicum of thought and planning, the mundanely sufficient can soar to new heights of beverage bliss. Start, if you will, with a simple blend. Famous Grouse is my house blended whisky,…

As I walked into the stranger’s home, ducking under the low doorway, I anticipated the worst. I’d never met him, his house was covered in cobwebs and reeked of an ashtray, in the middle of nowhere—the kind of place it would take days to find a body. I feared the vintage whiskey fill levels would be below the shoulder, an unacceptable level for an old dusty. Then through the kitchen was whiskey heaven. From dusty bottles to cobweb-covered wooden crates, vintage bourbons and ryes were waiting for me to wipe off their soot, inspect their integrity, and take them home, where they’d be loved with other old dusties. In my spare time, this is what I do: gallivant across Kentucky, seeking dusty bottles. I don’t care about Pappy Van Winkle…

Where do you want to go today? Where can I see a smoking pagoda? Look to the skies at Bowmore, Laphroaig, and Kilchoman for the tell-tale puffs of smoke billowing out through the slatted panels of the pagoda chimney, though kilning does not take place every day. Where can I see floor malting in operation at a distillery? Oddly enough, at all the places with smoking pagodas. If you’re lucky, the distillery guide will let you have a go at pulling the rake through the barley. Don’t tell me I can have a go at digging peat on Islay too? Yes, you can! You want to book yourself on Laphroaig’s Water to Whisky Experience for the afternoon. Alternatively, spoil yourself with Bowmore’s Master Distiller’s tour and get your hands dirty…

No space for a handcrafted copper Vendome still in your garage? These nearby Louisville companies and artisans produce American handmade goods that any whiskey lover can enjoy. The Rocking Chairman When you sit down with a fine whiskey, you deserve to slide into a rocking chair that fits like a finely tailored suit. Using original designs and exotic woods, master furniture maker Christopher M. Krauskopf builds bespoke rocking chairs to your measurements; $3,550-$5,750 therockingchairman.com Louisville Golf Oak is the ideal wood for aging whiskey, but did you know persimmon wood is perfect for putters? Since 1974, the Elmore brothers specialize in handcrafting wooden golf clubs, each requiring more than 100 hand operations to complete; $160-$275 Louisvillegolf.com Louisville Slugger Wooden baseball bats used by MLB players are on display at the…

The Buying Guide provides ratings of whiskies from around the world. All whiskies currently available for purchase are considered for evaluation; a special effort is placed on reviewing new products and comparing them to established ones. Because we for the most part serve a U.S. audience, we prefer to review whiskies that are available there, but will also review whiskies unique to other markets. Whiskies are chosen for tasting from among those sent to our offices for review, and from targeted categories—a particular distillery, a particular age—we find of interest. Ratings and prices Ratings are to provide a relative comparison of quality with reference to both directly competing products and whiskies in general. This is important, because some products achieve greater balance, character, and complexity than others. We urge you…

The concept of a Scottish craft malting revival has been germinating. Craft malting involves the production of custom-ordered batches of malted barley made from locally grown grains, unusual manufacture methods, or interest-ing barley varieties. Distillers undertake craft maltings primarily for the pursuit of distinctive whisky flavors. You may have tasted a number of drams that owe their existence to craft malt-ings: Glenmorangie Tùsail, Bruichladdich Bere Barley, Benromach Organic, and Springbank Local Barley to name a few. The concept of a Scottish craft malting revival has been germinating. Craft malting involves the production of custom-ordered batches of malted barley made from locally grown grains, unusual manufacture methods, or interest-ing barley varieties. Distillers undertake craft maltings primarily for the pursuit of distinctive whisky flavors. You may have tasted a number of drams…

Can a whisky drinker ever be given too much information about the product he or she is consuming? You may think that at a time when provenance and traceability seem to be of greater importance than ever that the answer would be an emphatic “No.” However, according to EU (Economic Community) law, which currently applies in the UK, a distiller or bottler may only make public the age of the youngest component spirit in the bottle. More detailed information is not legal. This first became a point of controversy when John Glaser’s Compass Box Whisky company was informed last year by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) that the company had acted illegally by revealing the full recipes on its website—including the distilleries from which whisky was sourced, the age of…

The prolific percolation of craft distilleries shows no signs of slowing to a drip; more and more, “farm” distilleries—those purchasing some or all of their grain and grass from farms within a stone’s throw—are becoming the bucolic norm nationwide. But a small, burgeoning faction of whiskey makers seeks to germinate an even more close-to-home methodology: growing their own grains and grass right outside their distillery doors. “When talking terroir in whiskey, it’s probably something that hasn’t existed in any real, meaningful way in a long time— and I’m talking in Scotland and Kentucky, too,” says distiller Christopher Williams of Coppersea Distilling of that Gaelic-grabbed, wine-centric term that implies an unmistakable, identifiable sense of detectable place in your glass. For Coppersea, which engages in thoroughly rooted 19th century methods, including fire-fueled…

The Whisky Advocate Auction index (WAAI) tracks a basket of 100 rare, collectible whiskies through the world’s commercial auction houses. Each bottle’s current price was benchmarked at a baseline value of 100, ensuring that every whisky exerts an equal influence on the value of the index. The current value of each whisky—compared to that original price—is calculated quarterly and composed of a rolling average of the hammer prices over the previous twelve months. The WAAI is determined as a composite of the quarter’s performance of these 100 whiskies. From 2016, the WAAI includes sales from online as well as live whisky auctions, which stimulated another large quarterly rise of 7.3%. The index stands at 217.1, a threshold moment indicating that the average value of our 100 whiskies has doubled over…

The Whiskey Sour is the world’s worst whiskey cocktail. Or, at least that’s what I thought. I made the mistake of ordering my inaugural Whiskey Sour in a small-town college bar in Pennsylvania, long before the current cocktail renaissance. It seemed like a grown-up thing to do. The drink that arrived—a noxious amalgamation of tepid, neon-green sours mix, with its cloying corn syrup and food-factory acid sting, tossed together with some insipid Canadian whisky— was typical of the time. This is the Whiskey Sour that fostered a generation of vodka martini drinkers. First impressions count. Twenty-five years later, I think it’s time to bring the Whiskey Sour in for Round Two. Comprised of whiskey, lemon juice, and sugar, a drink as simple as the classic Whiskey Sour can be truly…

Which bar has the most whiskies on Islay? The Ballygrant Inn is the leader, though the Bowmore Hotel collection is vast, and they are both ahead of the chasing pack. For returning visitors, The Ballygrant Inn is now home to the world famous gantry from Duffy’s Bar in the Lochside Hotel, which is carved with the names of the individual distilleries. Who makes the peatiest whisky? The parts per million (ppm) of the malted barley on the bottle does not necessarily carry over into the final spirit, so for peat’s sake, do yourself a favor and order up a few drams to undertake your own comparison. The Bowmore Hotel and the Ballygrant Inn have dozens of bottles from each distillery, so let the battle commence between Octomore 6.3 and Ardbeg…

I T’S NO SECRET that there’s been an explosion of new craft distilleries across the United States in the past decade. The exact figures are difficult to pin down, with the Distilled Spirits Council reporting 750 “micro distilleries” in 2015, up from 92 in 2010, and the American Craft Spirits Association (ACSA) tabbing a total of 1,280 “active craft spirits producers” in 2015. The American Distilling Institute (ADI) predicts an additional 1,000 net entrants in the craft distilling industry over the next five years. Perhaps even more intriguing is that certain geographic areas have become hot spots for craft distilling. As part of its Craft Spirits Data Project, the ACSA indicated that more than half of the country’s craft distillers are located in just ten states. For whiskey that means…

Before they were charred, eight experimental barrels were exposed to short and medium-wave light: four barrels at 70 percent power for 15 minutes and four barrels at 60 percent power for 30 minutes. The goal was to determine the effect of infrared light on flavors that are drawn from the oak. There is indeed a difference in impact, with the 30-minute experiment producing richer flavors and darker sugars, along with more oak-driven notes. (Both bottlings were aged 6 years, 5 months.) 90 Buffalo Trace 15 Minute Infrared Light Wave Barrels, 45%, $47/375 ml Nicely rounded and very drinkable. Warming cinnamon, vanilla bean, and dried fruit, wrapped up in creamy caramel and light toffee. Pleasant, gently sweet finish. Great anytime.—JH 89 Buffalo Trace 30 Minute Infrared Light Wave Barrels, 45%, $47/375…

M anhattan, mid-July in a year gone by. Ninety-six degrees at 4:30 in the afternoon, and I’m fresh from peddling my little stories to editors, including “senior editors” whose skin hadn’t cleared up yet, but that’s another story. On this day I’d managed to trade the promise of some amusing prose for the promise of some American money, which is always a good day in the scribbling business, so I was in a dandy mood. My last meeting was near Union Square and I was early for a birthday party for a favorite editor of mine in the west Village. (If I were cyber-savvy, or a senior editor, this sentence would include a link to a map of my starting point and destination, but you can groogle it yourownse’f, as…

Deftly preparing the carcass with her trusty six-inch paring knife, Rachel Hammond is an army of one. She quit the rat race of London for a rustic life in the Scottish Borders, and over the last three years she’s become a self-taught butcher and maker of exception-ally fine charcuterie. Rachel’s insistence on traceability, quality, and traditional methods has ensured that everything she sells is deliciously superior and a feast for the senses. The Hammond Charcuterie curing space is drafty, dark, and damp, the ideal conditions helped by being located just 100 yards from Eyemouth harbor. Her sublime air-dried ham starts at a farm about six miles away, where she deliberately selects rare-breed pigs. “Tamworths are fantastic for bacon and pancetta and they make really good sausages from the front end,…

There are some rebel whiskies out there. Whiskies with a reputation. Bristling with bravado, they carry a certain swagger and command everyone’s undivided attention. Some cause a ruckus, throw a punch or two around, and ruffle a few feathers. Some flagrantly disregard the rules and become embroiled in the glare of a scandal, while the lucky ones emerge as accidental heroes. The fate of a rebel whisky can be condemnation, judged by the mocking commentaries to be heinous, abject failure, while others capitalize on the notoriety, ensuring fame propels them into the heavenly realm of legends. You can’t argue with the fact that some rebel whiskies are just effortlessly cool. Compass Box Spice Tree The year was 2005 and John Glaser released a vatted malt whisky mellowed in casks lined…

So there I was, standing at the bar of Warehouse 3 at Lagavulin. Not that there is a bar there normally of course—that would be madness and undoubtedly in contravention of Diageo’s marketing code. Dramming was being permitted for one night only. It was a birthday party, after all. A 200th anniversary party to be precise and if that isn’t a good reason for rules to be waived, then I don’t know what is. Later in the evening there would be a performance by Prince Adewale and the Endeavours, fronted by Dr. Nick Morgan and Neil Ridley, the latter of whom played a guitar solo using a bottle of 16 year old as a slide. It was a party. It was an occasion to also reflect on the passing of…

Back in 1996, the UK’s Scottish & Newcastle brewery released a rather extraordinary beer that sold at what was then a rather extraordinary price. Only 1,000 twelve-ounce bottles were made available to the public, exclusively through London’s Harrods department store, and all proceeds went to charity. The beer, known as Tutankhamun Ale, was an as-true-as-possible recreation of a beer made during the time of King Tut, based upon laboratory analysis of beer residue unearthed during the excavation of what appeared to have been an ancient commercial brewery. It was a complicated process, since the main ingredient was a grain called emmer, then not cultivated commercially, and the team had to hypothesize about things like water composition and other flavoring ingredients. I was able to sample the £50 a bottle brew.…

Islay’s whisky comes to life. This is the story of the heartbeat behind Islay whisky: the people. BY LIZA WEISSTUCH • PORTRAITS BY MARTIN HUNTER Driving down Islay’s roads, you catch whiffs of sea spray, burning peat, cooking mash. The vintage seaside distilleries stand like monuments to Scotland’s history. And, of course, there’s the single malt and the coveted peaty left hook it delivers to the palate. But these are merely superficial details. The whisky industry on this windpummeled 239-square mile island is vast and deep, but Islay’s population, of about 3,000, is small, which means if someone doesn’t work at one of the local distilleries, a relative or neighbor does. It seems like every native of Islay, or Ileach (EE-lich), is a keeper of untold stories about whisky production,…

It is hard enough to find single grain whiskies in the U.S., so thank goodness for ImpEx Beverages Inc., who works with the Creative Whisky Company to import this range of single cask grains to our specialist liquor stores. The trusted nose of David Stirk is responsible for every cask picked and the company looks to bring the best to the market, whether that’s Irish whiskey, a cracking blend, or a sumptuous grain. With choices from closed and active grain distilleries, here’s a chance to become better acquainted with grain whisky styles from the 1970s and 1980s. 89 The Exclusive Malts (distilled at Invergordon) 42 year old 1973, 51.1%, $255 Lush caramel, red apples, sanded oak, and olive oil first pressings with herbal overtones, this ancient grain has managed to…