The Whisky flavour map originally put together by whisky expert David Broom, together with Diageo is a superb way of finding whiskies to suit your palette, from light smokier whiskies in the top left to richer more delicate malts in the lower right. Now it’s available as an SVG making it evebn easier to can buy your favourite whiskies straight from Master of Malt or the Whisky Exchange.

It might sound obvious but Scotch whisky must come from Scotland. In the same way that a bourbon must by law come from American (not only Kentucky). Scotch is a legally protected term covered under the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 which requires that a Scotch be:

1. Produced in Scottish distillery using water & Malted barley
2. Mashed at that distillery
3. Fermented & brewed only using yeast
4. Distilled to no more than 94.8% (190 US proof)
5. Matured in Scotland for a minimum of three years in barrels no more than 700 litres
6. Containing no added substances, other than water and plain (E150A) caramel colouring
7. Bottled at a minimum ABV of 40% (80 US proof)

This causes certain obvious issues of confusion for other countries such as America where Scotch is more typically associated with a style of whisky by the average consumer as Charles Passy explains in the below video.  

Legendary master distiller Jim McEwan has announced plans to retire in July 2015, Although he had previously been planning on staying through until 2016 he’s taken the decision to retire a year early to spend some more time with his grandchildren. He leaves Bruichladdich the ‘Cinderella distillery’ he helped revive in the hands of incoming master blender Adam Hannett and Allan Logan the distillery manager.

Jim McEwan’s Story

With over 52 years in the whisky business Jim is perhaps the most recognisable Islay whisky figures if not one of the most recognisable faces in the Scotch whisky. He claims his desire was sparked as a child watching Bowmore coopers on break, “the smell of the sweat and the oak and the whisky, and just that masculine smell, I thought, ‘Wow, I want to join this gang'”. So in 1963, at the age of only 15, Jim became an apprentice cooper for Bowmore, he would eventually work his way up the ranks learning virtually every aspect of the role from malting, to mashing and distilling, warehouse keeping, blending and even marketing as he became Global Ambassador for Bowmore. Ultimately Jim became the Bowmore distillery manager, but where many would have been content to finish their career at this height Jim sought out a new challenge, to revive Bruichladdich.

Bruichladdich Distillery

Built by William, Robert & John Harvey, the latest three brothers of long line of whisky makers Bruichladdich was the first purpose built distillery on Islay with a capacity of some 94,000 gallons (426,760 litres). Following the death of William Harvey in 1934 the distillery changed hands repeatedly, finally in 1990 the then current owners Invergordon distillers were floated on the London Stock Exchange. Being acquired in 1993 by Whyte and Mackay Bruichladdich was mothballed the next year as surplus to requirements. Although a relatively unknown – most of its whisky had been used for blending – the closure in 1994 of this historic distillery was a significant loss to both Islay and the industry as a whole.

Bruichladdich Reborn

On the 19 of December 2000 Bruichladdich would once more change hands, this time being taken over by a group of private investors led by wine merchant Mark Reynier & Simon Coughlin acquired the distillery for some £6.5 million. Their first choice for product director was Jim McEwan, and he accepted setting the stage for one of the most interesting, imaginative and innovative distilleries currently operating in Scotland today.

Restarting the Stills

The distillery despite capacity increases hadn’t seen significant investment in equipment, even today the distillation is done without a computer, and much of what remained was far form production ready so they turned to Duncan MacGillivray.  The previously the engineer and then head brewer at Bruichladdich, returned as general manager, and with heroic efforts from all involved the distillery resumed operation on September 11th 2001, almost 8 years after it ceased. Bruichladdich was once again an active distillery

Jim McEwan’s Legacy

Since 2001 the distillery has helped Islay farmers buy equipment and resume barley production, began a range of terroir experiments, released wave after wave of unique whisky varietals and collected countless awards. While Jim’s departure is a loss to the industry, he’s left quite a legacy in his barley varietals, the heavily peated Octomore, and even the Botanist Islay Dry Gin but all good things must eventually come to an end. As he says himself:

“It’s a job complete, you know…I’ve been doing this a long time, but I’ve got a feeling I’ve never had before, and that feeling is the journey’s over, you’ve done it, you’ve survived…you’re leaving behind something really worthwhile in a small community…we’ve got 80 jobs here now, and that’s phenomenal. It’s time to move on and focus on the bits you’ve missed.”

Jim will retire in July to spend more time with his family and to continue to support his favorite charity Spirit Aid, many thanks Jim, Sláinte Mhath!

If you’re anything like I am you’ve most probably spent a fair amount of time pouring over your whisky labels trying to learn more about the spirit in your glass, you might have also noticed that the words non chill-filtered are generally accompanied by a higher ABV but had no idea why. You might have noticed that they’re also generally speaking better whiskies, a fantastic example would be the Glenfiddich 15 Distillery Edition I’ve recently reviewed. Put in simple terms chill filtration is a cosmectic process whereby tasty fatty acids left behind by the grain are removed to give a clearer looking spirit at lower ABV. As these acids are soluble in high (44%+) alcohol you would only notice the hazing if the spirit was bottled arounnd 40% ABV or if you add water: In the glass on the left the reduced ABV (below 44%) has caused the esters with a longer molecular chain length such as lauric, palmitic and palmitoleic acid to react with the acid fats and cause a hazing of the spirit. The below video by the fantasic Ralfy (if you’ve not already I highly recommend subscribing to his YouTube Channel) explains the process and the consequences of chill filtration and why it might work for blends but is tragic for malts!  

If you’ve ever been curious about the process and stages involved in whisky production, or confused by the difference between grain and malt whisky then wonder no more with this fantastic primer. You can find related reading linked from the video transcript

This is part three of the Question and Answer session with Dr. Bill Lumsden, you can see the first video in our previous post Questions & Answers part one

The phenolic compounds, in particular phenol and cresol along with eugenol and guaiacol are the source of particularly strong,  smoky and bitter flavours and aromas found within whisky. Despite the fact that you’ve likely never heard these words before these are substances you have encountered during whisky tastings as our sense of smell is sensitive enough to pick out some at as little as 0.1 ppm (or parts per million the equivalent to 1 phenolic molecule per million others).

Phenol & Cresol in Whisky

The first two compounds phenol and the various cresol compounds account for the bulk of the peat rich smoked aroma and flavour traditionally associated with the distinctive Islay style. Measured in PPM concentrations found in whisky range from (more highland style Islay) Bunnahabhain with only around 2 PPM to Ardbeg with approximately 54 PPM*. These compounds may be introduced either deliberately by drying the moist grain over peat fires, or by thermal degradation resulting from the heating process itself, while these chemicals can be found in water this concentration is too low to have a significant impact on the whisky in question. *While the peat levels of the whisky is commonly measured by the PPM of the barley however this is not entirely representative as the level will dip by around one third in the new make spirit and continue to lower during the ageing or maturation process. The three cresol ortho-Cresol meta-Cresol & para-Cresol, phenol and their alcohol derivatives collectively make up the bulk of the aromatic properties of whisky. The medicinal odour is primarily drawn from the meta-Cresol compound which has historically been used as an antiseptic.

Guaiacol

A phenol derivative created by the charring of wood, Guaiacol is also responsible for the sweet smoke flavour found in whisky, its distinctive flavour is balanced against phenol and cresol by regulating the temperature and duration of the peating. Slower hotter peat fires will result in higher Guaiacol levels, while cooler and quicker drying will result in lower relative levels. Guaiacol is an oily, yellowish liquid substance with the molecular formula C7H8O2 also known by the name 2-methoxyphenol. The solubility of the substance is low in water, but very well in organic solvents. Guaiacol is odourless being only identifiable via taste its flavour threshold in water is estimated at 3 ppb. A base of Vanillin and Eugenol phenols, Guaiacol is also formed from various Lignin components such as the Ferulic acid (a cinnamic acid) gets into the whisky. The flavour character of Guaiacol is primarily classified as smoky, but it also imparts sweeter medicinal notes.

Eugenol

Eugenols occur in whisky and other spirits matured in oak barrels, imparting a strong strong and bitter flavours of clove and cinnamon. Eugenol C10H12O2, scientifically described as 4-allyl-2-methoxyphenol, is one of the main components of the floral odour of some Eugenia- and Cassa species, and as a component of various essential oils. These include cloves, cinnamon and basil oil. The characteristic flavour of Eugenol is the unique scent of cloves. A large number of compounds make up the

Founded in 1983 in Leith, Edinburgh the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) with over 26,000 members worldwide, and branches in 19 countries has seen unprecedented growth over the last decade but that may be about to change. As it is revealed the society has been sold to private investors under unspecified terms, though it is claimed that over 50% of shares are expected to remain in Scottish hands. First acquired by the Glenmorangie company in 2004 the Scotch Malt Whisky Society saw a decade of growth growth moving from only a handful of branches to its current size. However with the Glenmorangie Company focusing its priorities elsewhere, namely “developing the Glenmorangie and Ardbeg brands globally” the decision has been taken for the company and the society to part ways. The societies aims much as the Glenmorangie company are on the global horizon, Paul Miles the managing director of the SMWS notes that the change of ownership means that “There’s a small amount of international investment, and because we’re growing so fast internationally that’s an asset. Our biggest growth area remains the US, but beyond that our key markets include Taiwan, Japan and China.”

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society

The society was founded when Phillip Hills convinced a small group of friends to share the cost of a cask of Glenfarclas to be enjoyed without blending. Thereafter the group slowly expanded buying more and more casks and releasing the bottles to its members becoming the defacto source of cask strength, single cask expressions for many enthusiasts within the UK. The implications of this change for members are as yet unclear but we’ll keep you aprised of any updates.

First produced in 2001 the Glencairn has become something of a go to choice for a great many whisky drinkers inspiring a number of similar glasses. Noting that whisky has never had an official glass in the same way as wine, sherry or brandy Glencairn Crystal Ltd founder and managing director Raymond Davidson set out to create one, modelling it on the sherry copita traditionally used by master blenders. In conjunction with five master distillers;  Robert Mcelroy from Diagio, David Stewart from William Grant & Sons, Robert Hicks from Allied Distillers, Richard Paterson of Whyte & Mackay and John Ramsey of the Edrington group, Paul Davidson (eldest son of Raymond Davidson) revised his fathers original prototype. The original smaller glass, which was never patented and is thus produced by other brands, evolved into the large bulbous we use today. The wide bowl allows for full appreciation of the whiskies colour, the tapered mouth of the glass facilitates nosing enhancing appreciation of the aromas and savouring your whisky. It’s no wonder it’s fast becoming the default glass at whisky tastings throughout Scotland and Ireland. Now if we can only convince bars and pubs to adopt it we can finally ditch the old fashioned tumbler! You can learn more from with the below video from Richard Patterson as well as my references & reading list.

This is part two of the Question and Answer session with Dr. Bill Lumsden, you can see the first video in our previous post Questions & Answers part one

For those not in the know Dr Bill Lumsden is the head of distilling and whisky creation at The Glenmorangie Company tasked with the rather enviable job of creating Glenmorangie’s range of expressions. In this the first of five short interview videos Dr Lumsden answers questions posed to the brand.

While Paul Varga Chairman and CEO of Brown-Forman, which produces Jack Daniels, is encouraging the Scottish whisky industry to embrace flavoured whisky, this particular salmon will continue swimming upstream. There is no doubt in my mind that the current trend which sees a handful of flavoured spirits, passing as whisky, will be commercially successful, JD Honey already is. Perhaps not as successful as flavoured vodka became but nonetheless it will in all likelihood be received favourably by the market and it is even more certainly the worst thing that could have happened to the industry. To begin with 

It Is Not Whisky

To quote a drunk friend friend of mine “I dunno what they’re thinking but it isnae uisqe beatha”, and that’s not bias it is a legal observation, EU law states quite clearly that no ingredients except caramel colouring and water can be added to Scotch whisky meaning that these artificially flavoured offerings cannot presently be sold as whisky this side of the pond. While Scotland has long been using whisky as a base for flavoured drinks such as Drambuie, marketing stories taking this tradition back to the forty-five, these are considered liqueurs not whiskies. Yes these are made from the fermentation of grains such as barley but regardless these offerings are not sold as whisky, in part because of the protected status of whisky and the ongoing efforts of the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) to keep it so. While this seems unlikely to change at least for now the power of the American spirits industry is not to be discounted and its reach outwith Scotland and the EU is another matter entirely. Ultimately they may well impact on the perception or understanding of the consumer, much as they have confused American consumers already.

Whisky Isn’t Flavoured

If you’ve read Heather Greene’s fantastic Distilled you’ll know she picks up on this topic as one of her most frequent points of confusion. For now that wave of confusion seems largely limited outwith the UK but my own personal experience tells me that whisky knowledge is pretty limited even in my own beloved Scotland. When we talk about the aromas and flavours of our favourite whisky we’re not referring to synthesised or artificially infused flavours in the same way that vodka or gin might be. Instead the flavour comes from the wood, the wood contains naturally occurring oils such as vanillins, Oak Lactone, Lignins etc. For example when Hemicellulose breaks down in alcohol it creates nutty, creamy and caramel notes and flavours, similarly lactone creates sweet coconut aromas. You can find more information on the process over at Whisky Science but suffice to say when a whisky, or whiskey is properly aged it doesn’t need to have flavour added. 

Is Flavoured Whisky A Passing Phase?

Personally I hope so but I suspect not. While Google trends suggests a decline in global search is already upon us I can’t help but think that the public often want what the public get, and since these sugary spirits aren’t technically whisky anyway the time between creation and profit is likely to be very short and quite appealing to new distilleries and old alike. Despite the shift in search of late it might be to much to hope this phase passes quickly.

The Tragedy

My problem with flavoured whisky is that at best they confuse the issue and the consumer, at worst by using the term whisky they mislead the consumer. These spirits might be made with barley but that’s where the similarity ends. The world of whisky is a rich, vibrant and exciting one full of complexities and contradictions, the same cannot be said for honey or cinnamon whisky. The tragedy is in the number of people who will likely be sidetracked by the misunderstanding these drinks foster, discovering the wonderful world of whisky, the cornucopia of exciting expressions was one of the best things that ever happened to me. The flavoured whisky question, much like the Bourbon myths only serve to limit how far we search.