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A Dram Fyne Drink
with Ron Henfield
Questions, Questions, Questions!
 Those dedicated anoraks who read these articles from start to finish will remember that in the last edition I posed the question “do you know the name of the Scottish distillery which claims to have the lowest evaporation rate and why that is? Answers in the next edition if I can remember” Well I have remembered but did anyone answer the question correctly? Many thanks to the chap who visited the shop from Rotherham who was honest enough to admit he did not know the answer, but did promise not to tell when I told him.
The answer is Dalwhinnie! and the well travelled amongst you will know that the distillery sits very prettily to the side of the A9 about 45minutes north of Pitlochry which is the home of that wonderful dram, Edradour “yummy”.
There is a meteorological station on the Dalwhinnie site which is read every morning at 9am by the distillery manager and at 327 meters / 1,073 feet above sea level is the highest distillery in Scotland. It is due to the height of the distillery and the subsequent lower temperatures that the evaporation rate is lower. “or so it is said!”
However there is another distillery which is in fact higher than Dalwhinnie and this is the Braeval distillery. Standing at 355 meters / 1,165 feet above sea level it would if working, be able to steal the crown but was fully mothballed in 2002 and still sits quiet today.
Interestingly, many distilleries experiment with the age of their whisky and put out expressions as young as five or six years of age. However, the youngest distillery expression of Dalwhinnie is a very mature 15 years of age. On this, the distillery says that it takes 15 years at their altitude for the whisky to mature to its optimum. Well folks, the only way to see if this claim is correct it to pour a dram of 15yr old Dalwhinnie, sit in a nice comfy chair and go to work on the research!! On the palate, look for honey type sweetness with a delicious chewy malty & nutty background “what an excellent dram and well worth the research time!”
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So you ask, “Is age really that important and is darker better”?? I really enjoy challenging the buffs on these points and would argue that there are some excellent young pale whiskies on offer, with some not so splendid aged whiskies that cost an absolute shed load! As a result, whisky does not have to be of pensionable age or as dark as a Mediterranean suntan in order to be satisfying!
What then is the optimum time that a whisky should be matured for?
In whisky world, there is a very eminent distillery manager who suggests that the best time to taste whisky is when it is between 10 – 12 years of age. After this time duration he suggests that you will be tasting more of the barrel that the whisky was matured in due to the influences of the aging oak. If ever you get the chance to have you own tasting comparison test on aged whiskies, then you will find out that this view is very true.
The oldest whisky I have taken was a 38 yr old from the Balblair distillery, which is way up on the north east coast in the Highland region. In trying to describe the taste I would say, “ it reminded me of the nicest homemade Christmas cake that my mum would have made which was very moist and fruity with spicy and cinnamon type flavours and when it crumbled, you gathered it up with sticky fingers” what a superbly delicious dram and all that taste is down to the influences of the aging oak.
In total contrast and for the peat heads out there, why not try a no age Ledaig, pronounced Le-chig. Ledaig is out of the Tobermory distillery and is the peaty version of the same which is achieved by using highly peated barley. With heaps of bonfire toffee and a lovely oily quality on the palate this young whisky is well worth exploring.
Now back to the pale V the darker whisky debate. A critical factor in the final taste and colour of the dram is the type of barrel that the spirit rests in for so many years or the final barrel used for the last part of the maturation process. However, some distilleries and bottlers still prefer to add a small amount of caramel to the final mix in order to achieve consistency of colour from one batch to another.
An excellent example of a very tasty dark whisky is from the Lowland distillery of Auchentoshan and is the Three Woods. This whisky has been matured in three different cask types hence the name. Firstly the whisky is matured in an American bourbon cask, then in a Spanish Oloroso sherry cask and finally in a Pedro Ximenez sherry cask. This multi mixing of different casks produces a rich complex whisky with incredible toffee and sherry oak flavours.
For a total contrast, take the amazingly pale 10 yr old single cask from the Highland Brackla distillery, matured solely in an ex American bourbon cask and bottled by Douglas Laing, and you will find it an absolute delight and very much a “this time of year” dram.
Taking whiskies where others fear to tread are our good friends at Murray McDavid, which is to be found within the Bruichladdich (Brook-laddy) distillery on the Isle of Islay. Here the master distiller, Jim McEwan has developed the ACE (Additional Cask Evolution) programme which is all about using a wide range of different barrel types for the final few months of the maturation process.
Here, ex Madeira, Port, and wine casks from across Europe are used for finishing off a wide range of whiskies. So if you enjoy a robust red wine grape, then try a 10yr old Dufftown from Speyside which has been finished off in an ex Zinfandel cask or an 8 yr old Auchentoshan finished off in a Mourvedre cask. Finally, for the sweet toothed amongst you then try the delicious Murray McDavid, 1992 Auchroisk (Och-royst) which has been ”ACEd” in a Bourbon / Syrah cask “very tasty”
So next time you fancy a dram, why not take a break from the same old traditional finish and try something new?
“Slainte!”
All the whiskies mentioned above can be found at Mainly Malts in Bawtry, Tel. 01302 714 700 so why not call in for a whisky chat, say hello to Ron and find out more about your favourite dram.
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The Super Seven
Coming in at No.1
Goyenechea, a Merlot Rose from the vineyards of Argentina. A dry rose, with a fruity flavour and a fresh finish, it retails from Taste for £5.99.
Second place
Gran Feudo, a Spanish rose and said to be a perfect accompaniment to pasta, risotto, vegetables, fish and white meat. It retails at Taste for £5.79.
Runners Up
Chateau Carignan (£7.99) from the Bordeaux region of France, Echo Point Cabernet Sangiovese Rose (£6.99) from Australia, Pinot Grigio Ramato (£6.79) from Italy, Torreon de Parades (£6.79) from Chile and finally Willowood (£4.89) from California. |
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