17 May 2017

Method and Madness at Midleton

 
Over the last five years we have well and truly been riding the Irish whiskey renaissance wave, and those waves look set to get even bigger and bolder, with around 20 whiskey distillery's now in production and another dozen in various stages of planning and construction. Not only does Irish whiskey continue to be one of the most exciting categories in the dramming world, it’s also the one experiencing the most growth, and for very good reason.
 
Embracing the past but very much looking to the future, it’s not just the ever-growing gang of new kids on the block that are now driving the category forward. The big established brands have kicked away those cobwebs of complacency and are now well and truly giving the newbies a run for their money, with regards to innovation and the targeting of a new generation of whiskey consumers.
 
In addition to its plethora of its heritage driven brands, such as Jameson, Redbreast, Green Spot and Powers, Irish Distillers have well and truly grabbed the reins of innovation at its Midleton Distillery, with the launch of its new experimental Method and Madness series.
 
Method and Madness, is a celebration the creativity of Midleton’s whiskey masters and its fresh talent of apprentices. Taking inspiration from the famous Shakespearean quote, "Though this be madness, yet there is method in ’t "the series is designed to reflect a next generation Irish spirit brand with a measure of curiosity and intrigue, while honouring the foundation of innovation and experimentation grounded in the generations of expertise at the Midleton Distillery.

Midleton Master Distiller Brian Nation and Apprentice Distiller Karen Cotter
 
Method and Madness Single Grain
Finished in virgin Spanish oak casks

Nose: Madagascan vanilla pods, sugared almonds, strawberry jam tarts, pencil shavings and poly cement (Airfix) glue.

Palate: Cinnamon and clove infused honey, Butterkist salted caramel popcorn, cherry cough drops and a wisp of something menthol-esque.

Finish: A tenacious and teasing, full throttle thrill of a lingering finish.


Method and Madness Single Malt
Finished in French Limousine Oak casks

Nose: Grilled peaches, McVittie’s digestive biscuits, pink marshmallows and Luxardo maraschino cherries.

Palate: Baked spiced apples, cinnamon infused poached pears, Waitrose treacle tart and toasted oak.

Finish: A fabulously feisty ‘n’ spicy, long linger-ette of a finish.
 
 

Method and Madness Single Pot Still
Finished in French Chestnut casks

Nose: Clove infused orange oil, uncooked fruit cake mix, dried mango, red liquorice laces and a glug-ette of soy ginger sauce.
 
Palate: Fried plantain, tropical fruit trifle, poached pears, green tea, Dentyne cinnamon chewing gum, toasted oak, Turkish delight, retro white candy cigarettes and a good pinch of mixed spice.
 
Finish: A rich and rewarding finish, that provides the perfect highlights package, to what was delivered so well on both the nose and palate.
 
 
In addition to this trio of stunningly sipsational releases, Method and Madness have also launched a limited edition 31 Year Old Single Grain Irish whiskey. We’re yet to sample this one, but when we do you’ll be the first to know.
 
After sampling the first three bottlings in the series, its abundantly obvious that there’s also some genius amongst the madness at Midleton, and we’re very much look forward to seeing what they have up their sleeves next.

 

5 May 2017

anCnoc 2002 Vintage Competition


To help celebrate the launch of the new 2002 Vintage release from anCnoc, we’ve teamed up with the multi-award winning Highland single malt whisky brand, to give one of our followers the chance of winning a bottle.

anCnoc 2002 Vintage, which has been matured in hand selected Spanish and American oak casks and matured for over 14 years, joins the family of single malts produced at the Knockdhu distillery in Aberdeenshire.

This latest release, which follows in the footsteps of the highly successful 2001 Vintage, is said to be bright amber in appearance and bursting with aromas of spicy Christmas cake, liquorice and toffee, closely followed by a spiced vanilla aroma and a citrusy finish. On the palate, there is said to be sweetness of chocolate, perfectly contrasted with orange zest and a hint of leather, leaving drinkers with a long warming finish.

To be in with a chance of winning a bottle of anCnoc 2002 Vintage Click Here and email us your contact details along with the phrase that dramming pays:

“I’d be anCnoc, noc, knocking on
heavens dramming door,
if I win this latest, lush,
vivacious vintage”
 
*Remember to mark the subject line of your email with: anCnoc comp

If you’re on Twitter you can also follow us via @TheWhiskyWire and RT one of our related competition tweets for another chance to win!

anCnoc 2002 Vintage (46% ABV) will be available later this month, from specialist retailers, for a RRP of £65.00.

#anCnoc2002

For more information on anCnoc, visit: ancnoc.com
 
Competition closes at 23:59 on May 19th 2017. You have to be aged 18 years or over to enter.

2 May 2017

The Balvenie Craftsmen's Dinner Tweet Tasting


More social media based dramfotainment you say? Well allow us to gladly oblige with our triumphant teeming throng of Tweet Tastings.
 
We’re absolutely thrilled to announce that on June 7th, we’ll be teaming up with our good friends at The Balvenie, for a very special event celebrating the launch of the second instalment of The Craftsmen’s Dinner.
 
The online series hosted once again by renowned Michelin starred chef, Michel Roux Jr, celebrates modern day artisans from urban bee keepers to experimental cheese makers, each using traditional techniques to create their products in the most unexpected of places, from a rooftop overlooking The Shard to a council estate in Tottenham.
 
As part of the Craftsmen’s Dinner Tweet Tasting, not only will we be sharing, sipping and savouring a trio of Balvenie expressions, we’ll also be pairing them with some of the food from the artisans featured in the series.
 
We’re also delighted to announce that on the night, we’ll be joined by The Balvenie UK Brand Ambassador, Alwynne Gwilt, who will tell us more about the Craftsmen’s Dinner series, and indeed be on hand to answer all your Balvenie based questions.
 
Full details to follow, but if you’d like to take part in a truly epic evening pouring and pairing some truly artisan awesomeness Click Here to register your interest by emailing your name, address and Twitter handle, remembering to mark the subject line #TheBalvenieTT
 
The closing date to register is May 15th, and if you are registering to take part please make sure that you will actually be free on the evening of June 7th to take part!
 
Even if you're not one of the selected Tweet Tasters, it'd be great to have you following all the evening’s dramfotainment. So we look forward to seeing you over on Twitter on June 7th at 7pm BST via #TheBalvenieTT
 
 
The Balvenie Craftsmen's Dinner 2  Series Trailer
 
For more information on The Balvenie, visit: thebalvenie.com
 
@TheWhiskyWire
 @BalvenieUK
 
 Registration open to over 18's only!
 
Be part of the dramfotainment!
 

18 April 2017

Loch Lomond Tweet Tasting


Continuing our hugely successful triumphant teeming thong of Twitter trending Tweet Tastings, we’re absolutely thrilled to announce that on the 31st of May, we’ll be teaming up again with our good friends at the Loch Lomond Group, to pour and explore a gaggle of glorious releases from their Loch Lomond, Glen Scotia, Inchmurrin and Inchmoan brands.

Full details and dramming list to follow soon, but if you would like to take part in an epic evening of dramspankery click here to register your interest by emailing your name, address and Twitter handle, remembering to mark the subject line #LochLomond

The closing date to register is May 2nd, and if you are registering to take part please make sure that you will actually be free on the evening of May 31st to take part!

Even if you're not one of the selected Tweet Tasters, it'd be great to have you following all the evenings dramfotainment. So we look forward to seeing you over on Twitter on May 31st at 19:00 BST via #LochLomond

Registration open to over 18's only!
 
For more information on the Loch Lomond Group visit: lochlomondgroup.com
 
@TheWhiskyWire
@LochLomondMalts
@GlenScotiaMalts
 

11 April 2017

Whisky Insiders Interview No.81 - Sandy McIntyre



Company:
Ian Macleod Distillers

Job:
Tamdhu Distillery Manager

Website:
tamdhu.com




How long have you been working in the whisky industry?
I joined the industry from what you could say was a rather strange background. I graduated with a degree in Environmental Chemistry, then joined the Scottish Environment Agency, prior to managing wastewater treatment plants in the North east of Scotland.

In 2006, I joined Diageo in the maltings at Burghead & Roseisle, as one of a team of managers. I was there during the construction and the opening of Roseisle Distillery. In 2010, I was transferred (a thing that Diageo does as part of their management cycle) to the Glenlossie Complex just outside Elgin, where I managed Glenlossie and Mannochmore Distilleries. In 2014, I was then transferred to Glen Spey in Rothes.

In December 2014, I was then delighted to join the team at Tamdhu, in the role of Distillery Manager.

What has been your biggest career highlight to date?
I’ve actually got two highlights. In 2015, I was thrilled to be part of the team that developed Tamdhu Batch Strength 1, with our Master Blender John Glass. It went on to win Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, three weeks after its release.

My second highlight was getting my signature onto Tamdhu Batch Strength 2, which was released in November 2016. Like most managers in the business, it leaves a legacy and I know it’s something both my parents would have loved to have seen. My Dad enjoyed a dram or two! My brother marked the occasion by buying 50 bottles and gifting bottles to the rest of my family and all his business clients.

Can you remember your first dram and indeed what it was?
The first whisky I tasted would have been a Famous Grouse, given to me by my Dad when I was wee boy aged 5 or 6. It was put on a cloth to help cure toothache. I don’t remember it working but I do remember it tasted awful to me, not because it was Grouse just because it was whisky!

The first drams that I truly remember would have been in around 1993, though I’m sure I’d have shared a few before then. I was working in Oxfordshire for a year with Esso. At that time, I wanted to sound as though I knew all about whisky so I regularly returned from a weekend back home with a bottle of Bowmore. It was something that folk further south never really saw, as it was always the likes of Glenfiddich and Macallan on the top shelf in a bar. So I think I was trying to look knowledgeable and impressive, not too sure it worked though!

What does whisky mean to you?
That’s an interesting question for me, as it was something I never thought much about before coming to Tamdhu. Despite working in whisky, my previous drink of choice was Captain Morgan Spiced Rum and Coke. I have since learned a significant amount and have a real “every day is a school day” philosophy.

There was a time that I thought casks were just the thing the spirit spent time in to mature, but now my knowledge has improved, I realise that good wood selection has such an influence on quality that it needs constant monitoring. The range of flavours and quality never fails to amaze me, and that allows consumers to explore and find out what suits them best.

Now my drink of choice is actually whisky and particularly sherry matured malts. Whether my palate has changed and the sugary sweetness of the Morgan’s is no longer to my taste, or whether I have just matured like the whisky I am not sure, but the complexity of whisky is certainly more to my taste now.

Where would you like to see yourself in five years’ time?
I hope I’ll still be at Tamdhu, I never want to leave! In previous roles, I was never so immersed in a brand, but having spent over two years at Tamdhu, I am extremely passionate about so many things.

The team at Tamdhu are all so enthusiastic about their work and actually seem to enjoy it!  They want to see the brand develop and expand and are always keen to hear about sales, new releases and what our next project is, whether that be site-based or with the brand itself.

It’s sometimes hard to remain patient, though I have always said that patience is one of the things you need to make great whisky, but I so want us to have some other expressions; single casks, perhaps a 15 or 18 Year Old. These will come with time and good stock management, but I still want to be at Tamdhu when they arrive.

What was your last dram?
I was sampling the very first cask of Tamdhu filled after Ian Macleod Distillers resumed production in 2012. It’s a first fill sherry cask, milled, mashed, distilled and filled by my Assistant Manager, Iain Whitecross. We have been drawing a sample each year since March 2015 just to see how it has been maturing and how much colour is developing. It’s remarkable to see, nose and taste the journey that the spirit is now on and it will be really interesting to continue that year-on-year until the cask is called forward for disgorge. It has a real depth of colour already but, as you would imagine, it is still a young whisky.

Do you have a favourite whisky and food pairing combination?
This is only something I have started to explore recently. I am not adventurous with food I’m afraid, as my tastes are quite plain in that respect. Often if I’m enjoying an older whisky, I’ll have a simple cheese platter to go with it. Again, as I’ve gotten older, instead of having a sweet at the end of a meal I would rather have a good malt and some Scottish cheeses. Peppered crowdie on oatcakes is my current favourite with either a Tamdhu 10 Year Old or a Glenfarclas 18 Year Old.

What’s your favourite time and place to enjoy a dram?
It’s got to be with my oldest brother, Douglas, and with the rest of my family around. Despite there being quite a few McIntyres in the family, it’s only Doug who also enjoys a dram. Ideally at my house at Tamdhu, but it’s not often we are all together there, so his house in Glasgow would be my second choice. Glasgow is my home city and I’m proud of that so what better a place to celebrate families and friendships?

What do you think is going to be the next big thing on the whisky horizon?
It has got to be something around an assurance scheme for casks and ensuring that cask quality is something that is consistent. I would like to see something on the bottle label that tells the consumer if caramel has been added to the spirit for colour. While I understand that consistency of colour is relevant for the larger blends out there, I also feel that for a good quality single malt there should be no need to add caramel to simply make it look better in a bottle. We exclusively use sherry casks for our Tamdhu single malt and have no need to add caramel for colour as it all comes from the wood.

What’s the one dram you couldn’t live without?
Dare I say it, but Glengoyne 21 Year Old has to be up there as it is the kind of dram that I aspire Tamdhu to be at, hopefully when it’s 18! The depth of flavours, the colour and quality is superb. As you can tell, I love the sherry maturation, like Tamdhu, the flavours of fruits – sultana and pear, vanilla, the subtleness of fudge and even hint of spice, really bounce around your palate and make it a dram to sit, savour and explore.

Many thanks to Sandy McIntyre. Who will be our next Whisky Insider? Click back soon to find out!