A Well Stocked Bar XII

The Angel's Share - The whisky that is lost to evaporation during it's time in the barrel is referred to as the Angel's share.

This post, the latest in a series dedicated to the necesseities and niceties of a Well Stocked Bar. The previous posts on Scotch Whisky have included VI - Blended Scotch Whisky, VII - Speyside Single Malts, VIII - Highland Single Malts, IX - Lowland Malts, X - Islay Malts, and XI - Island Malts. This post is dedicated to Campbeltown, a once great Whisky producing region. Today only two distilleries are in operation, though combined they produce whiskies under the names of four classic distilleries.

Glen Scotia is one of only two distilleries in Campbeltown, with Springbank being the other. This small geographic area was once the home of over thirty distilleries, the majority of which closed between the first and second World Wars. First registered in 1835, it was overhauled in the early 1980's and has passed through the hands of several owners over the years to various degrees of success and failure. Glen Scotia is housed in what appears to be a small townhouse which has the added distintion of being home to a ghost - a previous owner who drowned himself in Campbeltown Loch after being falling victim to a financial scam.

Springbank, in addition to its own label, also produces two additional malts in their original style though their original distilleries closed many decades ago. The "original Longrow" was produced by Longrow Distillery, which was closed in 1896. Today Springbank Distillery produces Longrow single malt whisky in the same distillery equipment as it does its namesake malt. Despite this the malts have very different characters with the Longrow's much more heavily peated and drier character (think Islay malts) than the more floral Springbank. Springbank also began production of Hazelburn in 2005. Hazelburn was once the largest distillery in Campbeltown producing as much as 192,000 gallons per year at its peak, though it shuttered its doors in 1925 due to financial difficulties.

A Well Stocked Bar XI

"It is a golden maxim to cultivate the garden for the nose, and the eyes will take care of themselves." ~ Robert Louis Stevenson

The Islands Scotch Whisky Region encompasses all the island distilleries except those on Islay. Of Scotland's 790 islands only 7 are involved in the production of Scotch Whisky, they include: Mull - Tobermory, Orkney - Highland Park and Scapa, Jura - Isle of Jura (pictured above), Arran and a whisky by the same name, Shetlands - Blackwood (though the distillery has been planned for some time it does not yet exist and spirits labeled Blackwood are actually purchased from a Lowland distillery) and Skye - Talisker.

Whisky from the Islands tends to have similar characteristics of Islay whisky, only a bit more subdued, due in large part to the reduced exposure of the malted barley to peat smoke. These whiskies tend to be lighter in color and a bit smoother than either Islay or Highland whisky and in some ways remind me of Speyside malts with a hint of salt.

I have seen the whiskies of Orkney, Highland Park and Scapa included in the Highland region. Orkney is an archipelago of 70 islands lying to the North of the Scottish Highlands. Scapa is located on what is called the Orkney Mainland - despite being one of the islands, it is named as such as it is the biggest of all. Highland park takes its name not from The Highlands, but from the fact that the distillery was built on a hill in the parklands above the town of Kirkwall. There's also a certain logic to this classification as the taste profile is similar to Highland whiskies.

Talisker is my favorite line of the Island whiskies and has a long and interesting history on the Isle of Skye. Talisker has over the years increased its single malt offerings including the excellent 18 year and the 25 year cask strength bottlings, though the majority of the production goes into the Johnnie Walker blends. I'm not alone in my fondness for Talisker, the Scottish writer Robert Lewis Stevenson referred to Talisker as 'the king of drinks.'

'Slaandjivaa' (to your health)

A Well Stocked Bar X

"How solemn and beautiful is the thought that the earliest pioneer of civilization, the van-leader of civilization, is never the steamboat, never the railroad, never the newspaper, never the missionary - but always whisky!" ~ Mark Twain

To date in the Scotch sub-set of Well Stocked Bar posts we've covered Speyside, the Highlands, and most recently the Lowlands. This post is dedicated to Islay, a small island west of the Scottish mainland that has made a large contribution to the world of Scotch whiskies. These are also some of the most picturesque distilleries in Scotland, most being located on bays overlooking the cold sea.

Islay whisky is generally all the things Scotch can be in abundance: smoke, peat, and salt. The island once had 23 distilleries operating at the same time but the number of active distilleries is now down to eight, the newest of which, Kilchoman, opened in 2005 as the first new distillery on the island in 124 years. 2009 it will release its first whiskey having met the minimum legal ageing of 3 years in oak barrels. Kilchoman is preparing itself to be a definitive Islay whiskey as it's one of only six distilleries to carry out traditional floor maltings with barley grown at the distillery, something other distilleries don't do. Kilchoman single malt will also be bottled on Islay.

The oldest Islay distillery, Lagavulin, can trace its roots back to the 1740s. Lagavulin produces, at least to my palette, the second smokiest single malt available after Ardberg. The smoke comes from the process where the barley is smoked over a peat fire to stop the sprouting process, remove moisture, and impart flavor.


Other famous distilleries on Islay include: Laphroaig, Ardbeg (pictured above), Bowmore (pictured directly above), Caol Ila, Bruichladdich, and Bunnahabhain.

A Well Stocked Bar IX

"No married man is genuinely happy if he has to drink worse whisky than he used to drink when he was single." ~ H. L. Mencken

This post, part of a sub-series dedicated to Scotch Whisky, is dedicated to the distilleries of the Lowlands. This southernmost part of Scotland, along the border with England and as the name implies is relatively flat without the geographic challenges/advantages of other parts of the country. This region also includes Scotland's two largest cities Glasgow and Edinburgh, though neither is home to a whisky distillery. Auchentoshan is a short car ride outside of Glasgow and Glenkinchie is a quick trip outside of Edinburgh.

The character of Lowland Whisky is typically smooth and slightly more alcoholic on the palette as there are fewer tastes of salt, peat and smoke typical whiskies from the other regions. It is for this reason that the whiskies of the region are often referred to as The Lowland Ladies. It is the clean palette that to my mind makes this the Scotch whisky of summer and a fine aperitif year round.

There are only three Lowland distilleries still in production, they are Auchentoshan, Bladnoch, and Glenkinchie. For the connoisseur whiskies can still be found form the following Lowland distilleries even though they're no longer producing scotch whiskey: Ladyburn, Littlemill, Inverleven, and Rosebank.

Because there are only three bear with me as I devote a brief paragraph to each, a luxury not available to the previous regions.

Auchentoshan, established in 1823, is unique in that it is Scotland's only triple distilled single malt as opposed to the double distillation method used by all other distillers. This additional distillation produces a delicate, smooth and light single malt. It wasn't until 1974 with a change of ownership that Auchentoshan was available as a single malt, up until that point 100% of its product had been sold to blenders. Auchentoshan is named after 'corner of the field' in Gaelic.

The picture above shows the three pot stills currently in use at Auchentoshan. The shape of the stills are different from one distillery to another and even among the potstills at a single distillery. The unique shapes of the stills are one of the factors that define the taste of the malts produced. As mentioned Auchentoshan distills their whisky three times, once in each still. To the right of the photo you can see the "spirit safe" which receives the condensed spirit once it's been boiled in the stills. Each drop at Auchentoshan travels through this safe three times (for luck?).

Glenkinchie, nicknamed The Edinburgh Malt is located in the rolling farmland of East Lothian outside of Edinburgh. It takes its name from the glen (valley) of the Kinchie Burn which flows through the town. The Glenkinchie is slightly smokier and spicy than the other two Lowland malts and certainly worth a try.

Bladnoch, Scotland's southernmost distillery is nestled on the banks of the River Bladnoch in the town of Bladnoch, get the picture? It's product nicknamed, Spirit of the Lowlands has been produced, on and off, in this picturesque spot in Galloway since 1817. An interesting fact about this distillery is that the original still were sold to a Swedish company originally to make Whisky in the early 1900s. After ten years the product had failed to build a large enough fan base and was shut down and the three stills were sold. Two of them were purchased by Absolut and are still used to this day to produce some of their vodka. The third still is located in the Wine and Spirit Museum in Stockholm, Sweden.

A Well Stocked Bar VIII

"We borrowed golf from Scotland as we borrowed whiskey. Not because it is Scottish, but because it is good." ~ Horace Hutchinson

A picture of the Oban Distillery in the city center of the town of Oban.

If Speyside is the heart of Scotch Whisky then the Highlands are the head with great variety and complexity among the varied malts indicative of the relative vastness of the region. The southern boundary of the Highlands is generally defined as the imaginary line between Edinburgh in the East and Glasgow in the West (though a good portion of Speyside would be included using this broad definition). Highland whisky is generally powerful with a richness of flavor and more than a bit of smoke though generally less than can be found in the Island malts. Not unlike the Speyside malts the word ‘glen’ frequently appears in the names and means ‘valley’. There is really no central character that binds Highland malts except to say that they are generally expressive of their microclimates and the unique and varied heritage of their distilleries. Among them you can find some of the mildest and most powerful of all single malts.

Among the noted malt producers in the Highlands are: Aberfeldy, Ben Nevis, Blair Athol, Clynelish, Dalmore (a personal favorite), Dalwhinne, Edradour, Glen Garioch, Glengoyne, Glencadam, Glenmorangie, Glenturret, Glenugie, Glenury-Royal, Loch Lomond, Lochside, Oban, Pulteney, Royal Lochnagar, Teaninich, and Tullibardine.

It should be noted that Glenmorangie, a long produced highland malt is one of the only single malts not sold to blenders for use in blended malt whisky. This is not because it is not desirable in a blend, but quite the opposite, it is because it is simply too popular among the Scots where it is the top selling single malt. It is available and popular in the United States but has been overshadowed by other single malt distillers offering much larger and diverse product lines.

Dear Mrs. Claus

Dear Mrs. Claus,

I'm not sure if it's appropriate for Santa to have his own list, but he's hoping that these few items find their way under the tree this year, as you can attest he's been on the nice list most of the year:

Santa loves getting a new and interesting coffee table book every year. This year he'd love to peruse this book while dreaming of a trip on the Royal Scotsman or the Venice-Simplon Orient Express. Santa's had a love of train travel ever since he took a cross country trip as a boy in a private cabin on the much less luxurious Amtrak (though they had cabin steward service and a nice dining car, but that was many years and a few government bail-outs ago). As an added bonus Santa might just convince himself to book the Venice to Istanbul trip he and Mrs. Claus have discussed on and off over the last few years.

Though the reviews are mixed this story captured my interest. This may further help convince Santa to take Mrs. Claus to Italy this year.

The Widow Cliquot sounds like she was a fascinating woman and the makings of a very interesting book. Mrs. Claus can tell all of her friends how enlightened Santa is reading biographies of powerful and interesting women.

Santa loves Simon Pierce glass and has a collection of their decanters, but does not yet have this one. Imagine how nice it would look filled with Grey Goose, that is, for good or bad, both purchased and consumed in bulk at the North Pole.

The Dalmore King Alexander III is a newer offering, falling near the top of their regular line and based on tasting notes and my previous experiences with Dalmore products sure to be a hit. As an added bonus it will warm Santa after a long night climbing down chimneys. Just think how much faster and more accurately Santa can finish his mise en place with freshly sharpened Henckels and Wustoffs.

Santa's favorite scent for the cooler months.

And last, but not least, a feathered friend to keep Santa company when Mrs. Claus is away from the North Pole for business or out with the elves for dinner. Santa's former little helper took his last sleigh ride earlier this year and is sorely and deeply missed.

XOXO,

Saint Nick

A Well Stocked Bar VII

"Whisk(e)y is for drinking; water is for fighting over."
Attributed to Mark Twain

Photo of Strathisla Distillery dusted in snow.

Yesterday's post was dedicated to blended scotch whisky. This post begins a discussion on the various scotch producing regions and the varied single malts they produce.

Below is a map showing the commonly accepted scotch producing regions. Each distinct region produces varied malts but like wines each region has its own terroir influenced as much through the ingredients: water, malted barley, peat (burned to dry the barley), as the place where the barley is malted and the whisky ages in the barrel.

I think the logical starting point in the discussion of scotch regions is Speyside as it is the largest producer of single malts with 46 active producers, more than half of those in the whole of Scotland.

The region is defined by the river Spey which cuts through the area. Most distilleries were located to take advantage of a good source of clean water; in the Speyside region many distilleries use water straight from the river Spey and its tributaries. Geographically Speyside is part of the Highlands but for the purpose of classifying whisky is considered a separate region due to its size and the clear differences in the characters of Speyside as opposed to Highland whisky.

Within the Speyside region are five subregions: Elgin, Glenlivet, Upper Spey, Dufftown, and Rothes. Among these Glenlivet home to The Glenlivet is perhaps the most famous as The Glenlivet its most famous distillery produces the most popular single malt sold in the US market.

The defining characteristics of a Speyside malt are a degree of sweetness, a light to medium body, fruity, leafy and honeyed notes. Some whiskys also exhibit aromas of citrus and flowers like roses.

Following is a partial list of the Speyside distilleries, among them some of the most famous and long lived malts: Aberlour, An Cnoc, Ardmore, Aultmore, Balmenach, Balvenie, Benriach, Benromach, Cardhu, Cragganmore, Dailuaine, Dallas Dhu, Dufftown, Glen Elgin, Glendronach, Glendullan, Glenfarclas, Glenfiddich, Glen Grant, Glen Keith, Glenlivet, Glen Moray, The Glenrothes, Glentauchers, Inchgower, Knockando, Linkwood, The Macallan, Miltonduff, Mortlach, Speyburn, The Speyside, Strathisla, Tamnavulin Glenlivet, Tomintoul, and Tormore.

Among the list is my favorite single malt and distillery Strathisla (pictured above). It is believed to be the oldest distillery in the Highlands built in 1786. First called Milltown then Milton before being renamed Strathisla, the spirit they've produced has long been known as Strathisla. Chivas Brothers bought the distillery in 1950 after the previous owner, a Mr Pomery, was found guilty of tax evasion. The water source at Strathisla, 'Fons Bulliens' has long been highly regarded; Dominican monks used the same source to produce beer in the 12th century. Strathisla is also consistently ranked as the most beautiful distillery in Scotland, and I can personally attest to the quality of the distillery tour having been the first visitor of the seaons some years back and receiving a personal tour from a wonderful gentleman named Leslie who had been working in the whisky business for more than 40 years.

A Well Stocked Bar VI

"Too much of anything is bad, but too much of good whiskey is barely enough."
Mark Twain

As the weather turns cooler many switch from the gin and vodka based drinks of summer to something a bit richer, smokier, warmer. For me it's time to pour a few fingers of Scotch or Bourbon. The last Well Stocked Bar post was dedicated to Bourbon, this is one is dedicated to it's older cousin Scotch, particularly blended Scotch. Future posts will be dedicated to the finer points of single malts.

Scotch has had a long history of regulation (most of it unwanted and imposed unilaterally by the English). Today's Scotch Whisky is regulated by the Scotch Whisky Order of 1990, but is currently under review for further regulation. The Whisky Order is fundamentally a definition of what it takes to be called Scotch whisky:

1. Must be distilled in Scotland from water and malted barley and fermented with yeast
2. Must be distilled to an alcoholic strength of less than 94.8% (189.6 proof)

3. Must be matured in Scotland in oak casks for no less than three years and a day

4. Must not contain any added substance other than water and caramel colouring

5. May not be bottled at less than 40% alcohol by volume

Blended Scotch is a mixture of single malt whisky and grain whisky, usually from multiple distilleries. These are the Scotch whiskies that became popular throughout the world at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, and include such brands as Dewar's White Label (the #1 selling Scotch in America), Cutty Sark, Chivas Regal, Johnny Walker, J&B, and Famous Grouse. One reason for their popularity is their consistent house style. Like a Champagne house, a Scotch Blender's job is to produce a consistent product from year to year. They accomplish this by combining single-malt whisky from multiple distilleries in various proportions to achieve a consistent taste and then add grain alcohol to lend a smoothness.

Blended Scotch whisky is a bar necessity for it can be drunk neat, with rocks, with water, with soda, and in a host of different cocktails. If you drink Scotch you probably started with a blend and have your favorite, if not pay attention to what your friends and family order to select the blend most preferred by your most frequent guests. If your budget and bar can accomodate more than one selection it's not a bad practice to have several different selections on hand.

For my bar the "house" is Dewar's 12, a smoother more elegant version of Dewar's White Label that benefits from a combination of single malts the youngest of which is 12 years old. (The age printed on a bottle of Scotch by law has to be the age of the youngest malt included, though the blend may contain malts much older). I also have bottles of Chivas Regal and Johnny Walker Black Label on hand as I have a number of friends who are fiercely loyal to these blends.

What's your blended scotch?

My favorite scotch cocktail is the Rob Roy, named after Robert Roy MacGregor, a Scottish folk hero also known as 'Red MacGregor'.

3 Parts Blended Scotch Whisky, I prefer Dewar's 12 or White Label

2-3 Parts Dry Vermouth (depending on taste)

2 Dashes Bitters, I use Angostura, but Orange Bitters are also nice

2 Dashes Simple Syrup (made by bringing to a boil than cooling equal parts water and sugar)

1 Cherry

Combine first 4 ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled half with ice. Shake vigorously for a few moments. Serve in a old fashioned or a highball depending on the crowd and garnish with a cherry.