A wander doon the water..

It's about an hour's walk down the river,  from my home down to Leith. It's a stretch of the legs I take of a late afternoon when there isn't much going on.

I think I was aiming for a pint in the Roseleaf, but by the time I'd got about half way, my mind had turned to whisky and after a bit more walking and cogitating, I knew clearly what I wanted; a fruity Christmassy Speyside  followed by something wild and windy from Islay to blow the cobwebs away. The obvious place to go, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, the sanctum sanctorum of Scottish Whisky; sofas, open fires and selected cask bottlings.


The Scotch Malt Whisky Society

If you love Scottish Whisky, you should know about the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SWMS) and if you live in Edinburgh you should be a member. Their traditional home is in Leith and they have a beautiful unpretentious club room housed in an 18th Century wine warehouse. There, they serve their own bottlings of cask strength whisky, the casks selected by the Society from around Scotland and beyond.

The well informed bar staff will usually help you out, you just have to phrase your query well: "What's good?", "What's new?", "What's interesting?", will all work, I worked out what I want on the walk down; "Today I'm going to have two drams, I am looking for a fruity Speyside to start and an Islay with a bit of a punch." (I would have said "Like sitting on the West Coast at dusk, a storm coming in." - but he'd probably mark me down as fey or pretentious and I'm still sober and we don't know each other that well).

Oh and one other thing about the SMWS, each bottle is distiguished by two numbers, the first of the distillery and the second the cask it came from. The distillery cannot be named directly because it is also a brand and trademark, and the number of  the cask represents the number of the cask SWMS has bottled from that distillery.  So SMWS 11 38 is from the Tomatin Distillery (Number 11) and it is the 38th Cask that the SMWS has bottled from Tomatin.

Anyway the barman gives me a  12 year old Tomatin (11 38 'Tasty as Hell') and a Caol Ila (53 276 - which I can't find any information on).

This is the link to Whisky Society site-

 https://www.smws.com/

SMWS 11 38 Tomatin Distillery 12 year old, "Tasty as Hell"

Tomatin, I remember from the Whisky Fringe, is a Highland Distillery, just the wrong side of the A9 to be a Speyside. It was once the largest distillery in Scotland with 23 stills  (11 of the original 23 stills have since been removed). Tomatin  was the first distillery in Scotland to be sold to a Japanese company and is currently owned by the Takora Shuzo Corporation.

This twelve year old is matured in bourbon casks and then finished in a red wine cask. The nose is clean, sprightly and spicey. The taste is spare, clean and peppery. A nice whisky, but I don't really get that rich fruitiness I was looking for.

SMSW 53 276 Caol Ila Distillery (no other information)

The distillery takes it's name from the stretch of water between Islay and Jura and sits on the east coast of Islay, looking out onto the Paps of Jura. The distillery has six stills and the Caol Ila was first released as a single malt in 1989.

After the Tomatin, this Caol Ila, takes you straight down the 'Caol' cellar; peat and strange citrus, like slightly over ripe tangerines. Salt, peat and fire. A candle lit croft at dusk,  an elegant punch in the face, a sledgehammer, a no nonsense smokey bastard, a stone mason of a whisky, a  giant, chewy, smokey, spicey, liquoricy beast.

Like a good movie, you're still thinking about it days after, wondering what hit you..


Conclusion

So two nice whiskies in the end. 'Tasty as hell' Tomatin was very nice but not quite the full Christmas pudding effect I was looking for and the Caol Ila, not quite what I was expecting, but something exceptional never the less.


Addendum

My wanderings, took me down Leith again a week or so later and I tried the same trick, two drams at the SWMS. This time I was some what disappointed, it can't be great every time, right? One's mood, the mood of the moment, contributes of course, but also I wondered if they are trying to do too many out turns these days, as the business grows, the more single casks you bottle, surely, the less likely they are to all be exceptional.

Tasting notes

37 112  - 16 year old Cragganmore 
 (first fill ex-madera hogshead *)

Cragganmore distillery was founded in 1869. It was the first Speyside distillery to take advantage of newly opened Speyside railway. The advent of the railway would lead to a massive expansion of Speyside distilleries in the 1890s (Today, the railway no longer exists, the rail track now forming part of the Speyside Way, a long distance walk (speysideway.org). The distillery is currently owned by Diageo and operates two spirit stills.

A soft nose (light nose prickle, oranges and citrus, tutti frutti). At cask strength, still soft on the palet. Quite drinkable at cask strength, Highland burn water, snow melt and fruit. A splash of water opens up the spice and fire, but it is a gentle fire, spicey water, a hint of copper.

Tutti Frutti, snow melt, the embers of a fire.

* A wine hogshead is a large barrel that holds about 300 Litres of liquid.

26 122 - Clynelish

'In 1896, Harpers Wine and Spirit Gazette reported: 'The make [from Clynelish] has always obtained the highest price of any single Scotch whisky..'

Charles Maclean, Spirit of Place

In other words, back in the nineteenth century Cynelish was a premium single malt whisky when the vast majority whisky produced in Scotland was sent for blending. It can probably lay claim to being the first Single Malt.

The distillery is in Brora, on the north east coast and was founded in 1819. It is currently owned by Diageo and operates three spirit stills. It was briefly renamed the Brora distillery. Rare whiskies  with the Brora label are much sought after by collectors.

Ironically, for the home of the first malt, about 95% of the distillery's output is now used in Johnnie Walker, most commonly found in their Gold Label Reserve.

A soft nose of fruit and wood, glue and resin, a pleasant, light fruity whisky.

18 of the most Exiting Whiskies -Tom Gordon Writing in The Herald

Although it would be nice to try them all, I am personally drawn to the two offerings from Old Pultney (The 21 year old was possibly my favorite whisky of all time)..and a 12 year old for £25..I'm off to Tesco..

PS - The 12 year old Old Pultney is fantastic, my favorite whisky of the year. I have it with one cube of ice..and it takes me to that icy northern shore..

https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/17316655.18-of-the-most-exciting-and-affordable-scotch-whiskies-around-today/

Fake Whiskies..

The BBC posted an article today suggesting that a third of rare Scottish whiskies tested were found  to be fakes. This is the link -

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-46566703

..and to summarise (as we don't know how long the link will be available on the BBC site) -

A scottish research center tested 55 bottles of rare Scottish whisky and found 21 of them to be out right fakes (the original 55 were selected at random from auctions, private collections and retailers.

So buyers beware, provenance is king and to be honest with you, whisky is for drinking, not investing in or collecting (although I have a few bottles of SMWS Millenium Malt that I am hoping to pass down to my descendants to celebrate the year 3000)..

Good Luck!

Whisky Fringe 2018

Pink faced men in anoraks
(Yes they are all men)
Wait in the rain
It's August in Scotland
Time again for the Whisky Fringe..

We are queueing up in the rain for The Whisky Fringe. I can tell I am an ignorant fool, the boys in front of me have lists, have done their home work, know exactly where they are going, what drams and in what order. A grumpy fella behind, tweeds, umbrella, soft southern shoes...maybe he's been reluctantly sent north by some faceless corporate behemoth to check out the competition..

I listen in to the 'boys' in front, pick up a tip for Daft Mill...that's somewhere to start..

I am not a died in the wool whisky affecionado, I fortuitously picked up my ticket at the last minute from some surly men at the bus stop (perhaps, not surly - just Scottish in the rain)..Callum, a pink faced man in a check shirt. Check shirts, pink faces, anoraks...there's a few of them about..

The Whisky Fringe, organised by Royal Mile Whiskies, is a fine occasion every year to sample from a selection of literally hundreds of very fine whiskies, some of which I could never afford a dram of never mind a bottle. This year, as in previous years, it is held in the Mansfield Traquair, a gorgeous deconcecrated church, an ex-church, decorated by Phoebe Traquair with fabulous twentieth cenury murals (a rarety in calvinist Scotland). At least for today spirit has replaced, or is added to, Holy Spirit.

It's a dreich summer's day in Edinburgh. Sampling whisky is a fine activity for dreich summer's day. They go together like cheese and oatcakes.

The real connoisseurs ( or perhaps alcoholics), do all three days at £35 a pop. The tickets sell out faster than Glastonbury. I stumbled upon it (again) rather haphazardly, this year buying a bottle of Compass Box Assyla ( a previous Whisky Fringe favourite) for some Italian friends in the High Street shop, I left my address, in the vague hope of a return, and that's how Callum found me with his spare ticket. We agreed to meet outside the church, like a clandestine wedding.

The doors open and we file in, anoraks and brollies left at the door.  We get a nosing glass and a pamphlet and guide, 31 producer stalls, let's say 200 whiskies, and 4 hours to try them..

Again,  you can tell the pro's, they have a special lanyard that holds their nosing glass, presumably to allow them to gesticulate more wildly, or perhaps take notes. Prices seem to range from £40 -£300, I  decide to ignore prices, take a naive approach, see where my Nose / the Muse/ the Spirit takes me..but, I'll start with the Daft Mill, because the bloke outside said it was good.

Daft Mill (2006 Summer release)

A soft dram that reminds me of the rain
Sharp and spicey nose, smooth and warm
A rainy day on Loch Duich..

Then something twenty year old from Japan's highest distillery (from Compass Box).

Mars Shinanotanpopo

Smells different, I couldn't tell you how
Sherry cask, of mountain green
Steam off tropical hills
Quiet, austere, measured.

Japan becomes more Scottish with the nosing
..and the drinking.

If whisky brings the peace of it's maturation
This is the peace (or imagined peace)
Of a long hot, humid summer.

I find a shelf to lean on. There's lot's of whiskies to taste, but I want to take my time and try to savour a few (rather than swill down a lot). My other rule is not to look at the prices.. I might find out later if they are expensive or not.

Check shirt,who was Anorak in front of me in the queue outside, is taking notes on the same shelf. He points me to the Tomatin Moscatel.

Tomatin Muskatel

The Tomatin representative, shouts tasting notes through the din as he pours, he's been doing it for three days...in one ear and out the other. 'Just the wrong side of the road to be a Speyside.' -  He shouts. I passed this distillery recently,  flying, too fast, down the A9, on my way back from Skye and Loch Duich. Tomatin is a Highland Malt then, according to the random allocation of boundries..

It's fifteen years old, matured for five years in a Muskatel barrel. It tastes of cheese and wet blankets, spice and liquorice (my tasting notes are often a bit weird).

The Theory of Place

There are probably lots of theories and speculation as to what makes a good whisky, the barley, the malting process, the shape of the still, the barrel or barrels, the maturation.  Perhaps part of it is the place and duration of maturation. So an Islay whisky, rested and matured in a quiet, island warehouse near the sea might take on some of the characteristics of it's environment, sea salt and sea weed perhaps, more esoterically, the quiet stillness of such a remote location and the Tomatin, next to the busy A9, might be a bit more busy and restless.

Lagavulin 2001 Distillers Edition

 Check shirt and I seem to have synchronised our tastings and we meet again at the one wee shelf where it is possible to put down your glass and write some notes..

I imagine this dram to have been lovingly rested on an island, in a dry sherry cask, I am told..A whiff of the sea, liquorice and spice and of course a peaty fire..

'You're not on the Islay's already?' Clearly the Big Flavours of Islay should be left until the end of the day..I elaborate my 'Theory of Place' -check shirt tells me Lagavulin is matured in Fife..so bang goes that theory.

Kilchoman

'Islay's single farm, single Malt, from barley to bottle.' It's matured on the island too..

They have four releases on offer, I forgot to note down which one I tried, but it is dry and nutty and I note 'more pure in it's peatyness' ..which may well be my imagination at work.

Glen Scotia - A visit to the basement

Time for a break (sort of) and a wee bit of pallet cleansing after those two Islays (I suppose). Anyway, Glen Scotia an old, but newly revived, Campbeltown distillery is offering a presentation by the distillery manager Ian McAlister, in the basement.

Campbeltown, is the newest, of the five defined whisky regions (the others being Highland, Island, Speyside, Islay and Lowland) and the town used to be the Victorian Whisky capital of the world with about a fifth of all the distilleries in Scotland. Today there are just three, Springbank, Glengyle and Glen Scotia, with appropriate investment and marketing going in to reinvigorate Campbeltown as a Whisky region.

Ian takes us through a tasting of three Glen Scotia's - An eighteen year old, The Victoriana and  a twenty nine year old single cask.

The eighteen year old has a long, sweet and spicey nose, tastes of liquorice, apricots and sea salt. 'Good nose prickle', I am told..

The Victoriana is finished in heavily charred oak casks, giving it colour and sweetness. 'Caramellicious' is the word I wrote down, though perhaps a bit too sweet..nice, I would imagine,  after Christmas dinner.

The twenty nine year old cask tastes of polish and leather, wild place and wild winter weather. Ian hints at some other deeper taste,  a peatyness, which becomes obvious as soon as he says it, peat and cigars, perhaps coming from the barrel, used for a previous whisky's maturation..origins uncertain.

We have a nice chat about, what makes a good whisky and where does the flavour come from.

Someone argues that a really good whisky comes from a first fill bourbon cask (somewhat different from the whiskies we are tasting). Ian argues that it is his job to balance all the different flavours, you can fill ten barrels with the same whisky on the same day and end up with one very good one and one that is indifferent, why? well there is still much to be discovered all you can do is take the best ingredients and then manage and process them to the best of your ability.

It's argued that Islay and Campbeltown whiskies are exposed to Atlantic gales and Speyside whiskies aren't...that there is an oiliness and saltyiness associated with the former. Perhaps the saltiness comes in with the barley (but then, it is easier to get good quality barley from the east coast..) and Bowmore (like Lagavuillin) is stored and matured in the central belt..

So perhaps we could say the fruitiness comes from port and sherry casks, the caramels and darker colouring from the charring of the cask, wood and nuts (my 'polish and leather') from the cask and the time spent in it. The peatiness is a echo of the drying of the wet west coast grain over peat fires and the wild, saltiness an echo and a flavour of the wild west coast and the perhaps areflection the preferences  and character of the people that live there.

My notes get esoteric, maudline (and only partly legible) after that and it is not even half time. I particularly enjoy A Single Cask Glen Moray from the Adelphi Distillery Company (another recommendation from Check Shirt, he's been invaluable, the whisky Sensei appearing when you need him in a simple guise of anorak and check shirt).

At the end, fourteen drams and one steak pie over the four hours. That's probably my 20 units of alcohol for the week. The  ticket includes a £10 voucher to buy a bottle from Royal Mile Whiskies and an additional £10 off offer from Glen Scotia for one of their whiskies..

I take home a bottle of single cask Glen Moray (1995) from Adelphi and the eighteen year old from Glen Scotia, to sit in the cupboard and be savoured over the year..

I'll let you know how I get on..

Fortuitous Stumblings - The Whisky Fringe

The Whisky Fringe is not a dodgy haircut you might give yourself after a wee bit too much of the water of life.

Edinburgh in August is host to one of the largest Arts Festivals in the world. The Whisky Fringe was part of it this year.

If you are interested in the background read on, if you'd rather go straight to the tasting notes, scroll down to Tastings.

Edinburgh's Festivals

Edinburgh in August does not have just one festival, but three major festivals: The Edinburgh International Festival, The Fringe Festival and The Book Festival, not to mention the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. This year alone there more than 50,000 individual performances.

In short, if you like anything to do with the Arts, Edinburgh is a great place to be come August. Edinburgh is a great city, come Festival time it's amazing.

The Edinburgh International Festival got going after the Second World War, when many of Europe's cities had been bombed out. From the outset it attracted performers and artists of outstanding quality and ability from all over the world.

Soon after it started, individual artists and smaller theatre companies started flocking to Edinburgh at Festival time. They found their own venues in pubs,clubs and church halls and put on shows in the hope of being noticed by the critics and money men who were also in Edinburgh at Festival time. This supplementary festival became known as the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, because it took place on the margins or fringes of the main International Festival.

Today, 'The Fringe' is considerably bigger than the International Festival and many think it is the Edinburgh Festival. Many talented artists and entertainers, particularly in comedy were discovered in Edinburgh: Peter Cook and Dudley Moor, much of the Monty Python team, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie and Eddie Izzard to name but a few.

The Whisky Fringe

What has this got to do with whisky I hear you asking? Well a number of years ago Royal Mile Whiskies decided to get in on the act and in the best traditions of the Fringe, they hired a venue and put on a their own 'show', whisky related of course and they invited all the whisky producers they could think of to come and offer samples of their wares.

I went to a couple of Whisky Fringes back in the early days and then it seemed to disappear. Fringe events come and go, that's the norm, so I thought not much more about it apart from the occasional reverie - that Whisky Fringe, that was a good thing, I wonder whatever happened to it?

Anyway, I found myself walking down Broughton Street on a fine August afternoon and I see people milling about outside the Mansfield Church that was, and I'm going...hang on a minute that's where they used to have the Whisky Fringe..I wonder..so I went up and asked and indeed it was. So popular has it become that they no longer bother advertising, tickets sell out within minutes of going on sale.

I don't suppose there'd be any tickets left then? I asked with a mixture of hope and apprehension, adjusting myself to the notion of an unexpected afternoon of whisky drinking...

The Mansfield Church

A wee bit about the venue..

The Mansfield Church I have to say is a fine venue for whisky drinking. A Church?? I hear you say, aye, but a deconcecrated church.

The story I heard was that it was owned by a Christian sect who managed to convince themselves that the Lord was coming back next Tuesday. So, having no further need of material possessions, they sold the place for a tenner (ten pounds). It's a good story, I don't know if it is true or not. Anyway, it was abandoned and used as a store room for many years until it was saved, restored and given a new lease of life as a venue and center for Scotland's voluntary organisations.

In it's former life as a Kirk, it was decorated by Phoebe Anna Traquair. Here's some pictures from the interior.

She came back.

...'You're in luck' she said, 'we've had a couple of returns.' 

So in I go some what bemusedly and unexpectedly, my wallet thirty quid the lighter, tasting glass in hand, into what has been described as 'Scotland's Sistine Chapel', dedicated, for this afternoon at least, to celebrating another kind of spirit.

Tastings

The Whisky Fringe program states -

'Our intention has always been to broaden people's knowledge of whisky in a convivial and relaxed atmosphere.'

And also -

'..behave in a responsible manner. It only takes one numpty to ruin it for everyone. Don't be that numpty.' A 'numpty' is a good Scottish word for a turnip, generally used to describe an idiot.

With over 200 drams there to sample, the program recommends you to try 'no more than five or six', striking the right balance, as always with whisky drinking, is going to be part of the challenge.

The sample measure is about two sips, which I thought was a nice idea that could be adopted by some of the more touristy pubs, allowing people to sample a range of whiskies. Scottish drinking laws however, probably wouldn't allow it.

The crowd seems mostly made up of Scots. Meaty Scots I would call them on the whole, not the thin artistic types I've been seeing at other Festival events. I am a bit on the meaty side myself (although my soul, I like to think, is the thin artistic type).

Chivas Regal 25 year old

Chivas is not a whisky it would ever come to me to look for or ask for in a pub in Edinburgh. It's a blend and we tend not to go for blends. I remember it from a wedding I attended in Chile and indeed Wikipedia tells me -

'It is the market leading scotch whisky 12 years and above in Europe and Asia Pacific.'

Owned by Pernod, Chivas' home is the Strathisla Distillery in Speyside. The 25 year old is a limited edition blend of whiskies aged 25 years old or over. The price is around £165 ($300) a bottle, so I won't be buying a bottle any time soon.

In my own tasting notes, I describe it simply as a smooth Speyside. Chivas, if it is for sale in Scotland (I didn't have the courage to ask!) is not heavily marketed or promoted and I hadn't looked at the price tag.

I was just getting started, but it came across as just a descent Speyside.


The Feathery

The Feathery is again a malt blend, taking it's name from the early golf balls, which I believe were stuffed with feathers. The Feathery is produced by the Spencerfield Spirit Company which is a Fife based company and seems to be mostly a  blending and marketing operation (and nothing wrong with that) producing it's own label gins and whiskies.

I was drawn to their stand by their award winning 'Sheep Dip' brand, but somehow got swayed onto The Feathery. Sheep Dip along with Fettercairn were the two favorite drams of the shepherd on the farm where I grew up. On a cold April lambing afternoon, I'd occasionally get treated to a dram. For me, whisky memories don't come much better or whisky endorsements much higher.

My tasting notes for The Feathery - A blend, very smooth, orangey, almost a liqueur. I am hesitant to call it a woman's whisky, for men can be delicate souls too and vice versa, but perhaps a whisky for someone who doesn't like whisky; a gentle introductory whisky, or a whisky for the non whisky drinker.


Ledaig

Ledaig is a Single Malt produced by the Tobermory distillery on the island of Mull. The Tobermory Distillery, the only distillery on the island, produces a non peated malt, The Tobermory and a fairly heavily peated malt, The Ledaig.

Tasting Notes -

Sharp and peaty, quite soft on the nose, of gun rooms and wet dogs, sharp and earthy, gunpowder, think Lapsang Souchong.



Glenmorangie

I was drawn to the 12 year old Quinta Ruban which had a beautiful rich orangey colour. The whisky is matured for ten years in American white oak casks before being transferred to Port 'pipes' from the Quintas estate in Portugal. The trick is, the man said, to not allow the delicate flavours associated with Glenmorangie to be overwhelmed by the stronger flavours of the port.

Tasting notes - The nose is very delicate and definitely a 'whisky nose'. Actually difficult to find anything of the Port. Strong in the mouth (without added water). Orangey, spicey, peppery. Not that exited about it.

Compass Box

I am an old fan of Compass Box whiskies. The Asyla had been a discovery and one of my favorites at a previous Whisky Fringe.

The Whisky Fringe ticket at £30 includes a £10 voucher off a £40+ bottle of whisky. I eventually, after humming and hawing over four whiskies I didn't know, opted for a bottle of the Compass Box Spice Tree, which I am now quietly sipping of an evening at home.

Compass Box are a London based company (we won't hold that against them too much) that produce a range of blended whiskies. I had great chat with their representative Greg Glass.

Grain whiskies can be made from any grain, whereas malt whiskies must be made from malted barley. Additionally, Scottish malt whisky must be made in a pot still, whereas grain whisky can be made in a column still (a column still produces greater alcohol per volume, but a less flavourful spirit).

Traditionally, when all Scottish whiskies would have been peat dried, Scottish whisky, all Scottish malt whiskies, would have been peaty and heavy and would have been mixed, or blended, with grain whiskies to reduce that heavy flavour.

'Generally blends today have a bad name and are coarser whiskies, but there is no reason why a blend can't equal in quality a Single Malt. It is to do with the ingredients used; use a rough whisky and you'll get a rough blend. Grain whiskies can add a lightness to a heavy malt, a hint of vanilla and of tropical fruits.'

Greg Glass - Compass Box

In all I tried three of Compass Box's whiskies.

Great King Street - Artist's Blend

I can't seem to find my notes on it, but I remember not being overly impressed. A nice bottle and at £22.50, one of the cheapest whiskies here, so perhaps not bad for the price.


The General

A feature of the Whisky Fringe is the 'Half Time Whistle', a whistle blows and the producers whip out one bottle of something really special. The General was Compass Box's special whisky, one of the few remaining bottles of a blend of two 'thirty years plus' single malts of unknown origin. It was lovely; a lovely long sweet nose of caramels and cigars, sweet and relaxing to swallow.

The Spice Tree

The Spice Tree was my take home bottle, so I've tasted it in a different way from any other whisky mentioned here. It is a blended malt whisky, non chill filtered and aged in virgin French oak. The casks, which are made to order, are composed of new French oak for the heads and used American oak for the bodies. The malts used are ' all Highland single malts, primarily from the village of Brora' (this would hint at Clynelish, which is not a whisky I know).

Tasting notes - Sweet liquoricy, spicy as you'd expect, but not unpleasantly so, oily, smooth. Not exceptional in flavour, but a pleasant relaxing dram.


At this point in the afternoon, I was reaching my limit; although it is only two sips per whisky, there's only so many you can or would want to taste in an afternoon. In the interests of research and balance, I decided to give a couple of the more peaty whiskies a go.

Talisker

Talisker is owned by Diageo. It is the only malt from the only distillery on the beautiful island of Skye, Highland home of my heart and a distillery I've actually visited (with my dear friend Dave Martin)...it's going to have to be pretty poor for me not to like it.

Talisker is 13-17 parts per million phenols from peat smoke, as compared to 50-60 ppm for Islay malts. 'Just peaty enough for some people', I am told. I try the Talisker Storm, which describes itself as a 'no age statement whisky'. I find it peaty yes, but still light and refreshing, so living up to the 'just peaty enough' description.

Laphroaig

Laphroaig seems to be owned these days, or at least stabled within, another large marketing concern called Maxxium UK ltd, a UK business based in Sterling.

At their stand I tried the Laphroaig Select where the man insisted, when I asked how old it was 'it's no aboot the age'. It is a triple wood aged whisky from Islay, finished in small sherry casks (so therefore more contact with the wood). It has a fruity nose and is surprisingly more woody than peaty, tastes of gunpowder/Lapsang Souchong. Quite dry, very nice, surprisingly refreshing.

Old Pultney 21 year old

To finish off, a dram of the Old Pultney 21 year old, an old favorite of mine. I bought myself a bottle for my birthday several years ago, having read in a newspaper that it had been rated the best whisky in the world. I like an evening dram, that's how I tend to rate and enjoy my whiskies. It didn't disappoint then and it doesn't disappoint now..it brought me peace. My favorite whisky to date.

Tasting notes - Soft and fruity nose, slight pepperyness  on the tongue - gives you a sense of peace and a warm after glow.


There was also a rather forlorn man in the corner trying to interest people in what were probably some fine Rye whiskies and a dapper, well mannered Japanese man with samples of Hakushu and Yamazaki whiskies. He was being harangued by two kilted Scottish numpties, but coping reasonably well with it. I might of tried one, but I can't remember.

For me that was enough for the day and it was time to get back out into the sunshine.

Ranking by taste

(1)   Old Pultney 21 year Old
(2)   The General from Compass Box
(3)   Spice Tree from Compass Box
(4)   Laphroaig Select ('It's no aboot the age!')
(5)   Talisker Storm
(6)   The Feathery
(7)   Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban
(8)   Chivas Regal 25 year old.
(9)   Ledaig
(10) Great King Street from Compass Box

Glenkinchie 12 year old - A Protestant kind of dram.

Tasting conditions, I would have to say were ideal for this one. After a muddy, entertaining and tiring walk with a friend round Roslyn Glen, on a cold February afternoon and after a hearty wholesome meal of bangers and mash.

I found it a dry ('Protestant' I called it), spare kind of dram, not full of sherry flavours or sweetness - dry and cold like the day (It was slightly chilled from sitting in a friends front porch for a couple of hours).  It was  peaceful, not busy with flavours. It rounded off the day finely, a stick of shortbread as accompaniment would have perfected it.

I have a theory that a good whisky should convey a sense of peace, something of that relaxation of water that comes from sitting still in a quiet place for a number of years. The Glenkinchie 12 year old did.

I really enjoyed this one, but then it was a particularly fine moment for a dram and I give it a rating of eight out of ten.

Addicted to pleasure, *****

If you haven't seen this, I really recommend it. The whole series has been superb, gently sticking the knife into the idea of a beneficent British Empire, the Scots less than salutary role it and  how it affects us physically and materially to this day.

Brian Cox also gets to try some 'Scottish hooch' fresh distilled from an old Hebridean pot still, which few people get to try as it can't legally be called whisky until it's been matured for at least three years in an oak cask.

There is also a nice explanation of how the Scottish summer sun causes the spirit in the cask to expand into the wood of the barrel, thus acquiring some of the flavour of the cask it is stored in.

Addicted to Pleasure, Brian Cox in a tour de force look at the history of the Scottish Whisky industry.