Hello everyone,

You think there‘s going to be nothing to write about this time and then two whisky samples turn up with excellent timing. They are two samples of peated anCnoc, both launched several weeks ago as well as a sample of their 12 Year Old as a reminder of their core expression.

The first an Cnoc is anCnoc Sherry Cask Finish Peated Edition (43% abv). AnCnoc is always a subtle whisky so I was looking forward to this one, to both new expressions, in fact. There is no age statement on either of them.

Appearance: Medium amber; yellow and old gold highlights. Tears medium speed and fairly close together.

Nose: Toffee, honey-baked apple; milk chocolate raisins; a touch of golden syrup but all fresh and light – not too sweet or cloying. Hint of youth. With water, a little more dried vine fruit. Mellow oak and a touch of sweet spice. The tiniest hint of sulphur. Baked plums and some white pepper. Honey is more forward now too. The peat/smoke element isn‘t at all pronounced.

Palate: Dried herbs; a touch peppery. Honey and some caramelised brown sugar. A little peat and smoke add depth and richness but it‘s very subtle and well-integrated. It‘s more obvious on the palate than on the nose. It dries the edges of the tongue and gives up some spiciness and oak.

Finish: Dry, lightly smoky and quite long.

This first one uses both peated and unpeated whiskies and spends time in American oak before finishing in sherry butts from Jerez. Expect to find it in good whisky shops at around £40 (UK pricing)

The second new expression is anCnoc Peatheart Heavily Peated Batch 3 (46% abv). We‘re told this is 34ppm of phenols in the barley and 13.3ppm in the final whisky. Please remember that phenols reduce during the whisky production process.

Appearance: Pale gold grain stalk/white burgundy tones. Pale lemon highlights; almost a green tinge. Tears quite slow, clingy and close.

Nose: Mildly smoky on the nose, peat not too overt at first. Apples and cream cheese; fresh and clean. Mellow wood and a dab of vanilla. Earthy. With water, I found this a little less appealing at first but give it time. There‘s a more yeasty note and a bit more fruit; waxed flowers. I thought I detected a hint of menthol but it‘s very fleeting. A bit of youth here also.

Palate: Medium mouth feel and slightly mouth-coating. Smoky but not at all harsh at first then stronger smoke, peat, char and a little tar come in but there‘s a lovely rearguard barley sweetness too. Oak tannins, a little vanilla and dancing pepper on the tongue. This one has a bit more depth on palate than on nose. A touch of bitters too.

Finish: Quite long and smoky with cereal sweetness and oak wood plus a slight, pleasant bitterness.

Price on this one will be around £55. Only 1535 cases are available. Both whiskies are available in the UK now via whiskyshop.com and specialist stores. It can also be purchased via Amazon. In the next few months both will be expanded into other markets internationally including Canada, Europe and Asia (exact countries in the latter two not specified).

News came in recently that Speyburn Distillery has opened up to visitors permanently following their events at Spirit of Speyside earlier this year. They‘ve been closeted away for 126 years simpy making good whisky but have now decided it‘s time to meet the public on a more regular basis. The distillery will open for tours from 1st August and you can book this new curiosity via https://www.speyburn.com/visit-us or by calling +44 (0) 7977 706676. They run Tuesday – Saturday. And there are three tour times each day. Each tour lasts 1 hour and 45 minutes. I‘d like to get up there myself as I‘ve driven past above it in it‘s little glen many times. I expect it to be a fine addition to the other distilleries you can visit in the area. One notable feature is the drum maltings, „… a traditional maltings building featuring three impressive floors of rarely seen vintage equipment. Mothballed half a century ago, it has lain locked and perfectly preserved until today, offering guests a unique glimpse into Speyside distilling history… The tours will also provide an insight into Speyburn’s environmental credentials, and the measures the Distillery team are taking to protect the surrounding environment and make their whisky one of the most sustainably-produced on the market today.“ So next time you plan on visiting Speyside do add Speyburn Distillery into your plans.

Good news for Welsh Single Malt Whisky this month as they now have protected Geographical Indication status – a UK accreditation set up post-Brexit to replace the European PGI status. I first heard about the Welsh distillers‘ campaign to achieve this when visiting Aber Falls Distillery (well worth a visit) in North Wales in 2021. It all started in 2020 when four of the distilleries (there are now a couple more) got together to push for it. Their hard work is cause for celebration. Penderyn Distillery was the catalyst for modern whisky production in Wales, getting their wash for distillation from Brain‘s Brewery initially before having their own facility and they were an inspiration for others. To all Welsh distillers, lang may your lum reek, as we say in Scotland. I‘ll let you research that one for yourselves but it is a wish for success and longevity!

That‘s all for this time and I‘ll be back mid-August with any new info or comment. Meantime, happy dramming.

Slainte mhath,

Caroline

Hello everyone

Last time I mentioned I‘d been asked to hold back my tasting notes on the new Wolfcraig 14 Year Old Deluxe Blend Triple Sherry Cask but it looks like I can now use those. Just recently the Scotch Whisky Association has published new guidelines for distillers to save water and the charity One of One auction is coming up again and Old Pulteney Distillery has sent info on the bottle they are offering up.

To Wolfcraig 14 YO Deluxe Blend Triple Sherry cask first.

Appearance: Warm amber with tawny and orange marmalade highlights. Tears fairly swift at first then much stickier and farther apart.

Nose: From the little sample bottle, oak,vanilla, earth and dried fruit. Same in glass with the addition of almonds/marzipan; dried apricots; warm spices and light fruit cake (sultana sponge) and a little hint of ripe banana. A tiny touch of sulphur and wax polish as on a sun-warmed wooden floor.

With water, there‘s a little more wax at first and spice a bit more to the fore – ginger, mild clove, allspice – as are the oak and earthen notes as well as a touch of hops.

Palate: A slightly mouth-coating unctuous feel. Spices, dried fruits and honey; digestive biscuits but herbal dry notes too. Some caramelised brown sugar; dark chocolate and coffee grounds.

Finish: Long with coffee grounds and herbs.

Another one that I‘d happily nose and sip for ages. Although it‘s entitled Triple Sherry Cask it‘s not heavy or cloying but rich, yet delicately balanced. It‘s bottled at 46% abv and comes from Moscatel, Amontillado and PX casks sourced from Bodega San Andreas. All whiskies were matured separately and then blended. Price is expected at £80 and will be available from August (exact date not yet supplied) on the Wolfcraig website. This tasting note is an appetite teaser. Get hold of some if you can when it‘s out.

As mentioned last time, Wolfcraig also sent a sample of their gin. I do like gin but it‘s not a frequent choice for me. This is a very pleasant example, fresh and clean with quite upfront lemony notes with oil of claryssage and cardamom and cumin like spices (even if they‘re not actually in there) as well as juniper and the other usual suspects in gin production. I‘d happily use it again even though I do have a other preferences in gin.

The SWA recently published its Water Stewardship Framework paper. We are told, „As part of its Sustainability Strategy launched in 2021, the SWA set a target range of 12.5 to 25 l/lpa (the amount of water used per litre of alcohol produced) by 2025, depending on distillery size and production. The Framework focuses on three key areas: Responsible Use, Engagement and Collaboration, and Advocacy. These three themes aim to provide SWA member companies with clear direction on how they can address water use and efficiency improvement in their operations, while incorporating wider collaboration and advocacy activities. The Framework encourages a collaborative industry approach to deliver on-the-ground improvement projects and influence future policy to ensure the protection and preservation of a vital resource. Previous data analysed by the SWA showed that water efficiency – measured in l/lpa – had improved by 22% since 2012. The SWA will continue to gather data from across the industry to re-benchmark progress and set ambitious targets to take the sector beyond compliance on water.“ Now, it‘s not as if the industry is currently profligate in the use of water but anything practical which can help Scotland‘s water supply and not be detrimental to whisky production is to be welcomed.

The One of One charity auction is held at Hopetoun House near Edinburgh on 5th October this year, proceeds going to The Distillers Charity and, primarily, the Youth Action Fund dedicated to the betterment of the lives of young people in Scotland. Inver House Distillers sent info to say they are offering up Old Pulteney Bow Wave: a 45 Year Old Single Malt and the oldest expression from the Highland distillery to date. As you can see from the photograph, it is presented in „an exquisitely hand-crafted sculpture which represents the movement of a ship through crashing waves“. This rare whisky was matured for more than four decades in hand-selected American oak casks then a further five years maturation inside a single first-fill Spanish oak butt. „As a result, Bow Wave is magnificent in its complexity. Deep golden in colour, it features subtle whispers of sea spray entwined with the sweetness of honey, with delicate notes of aged oak and maritime air to tantalise the palate.“ Certainly does sound good but I‘m unlikely to find out given it has an auction estimate of £20,000 – £30,000. All for an excellent cause.

The Old Pulteney whisky is in a delightful piece of packaging. Presented on a plinth of Caithness slate, „…the bottle is crafted from hand-blown glass with complex Inciso cuts, mirroring the semblance of crashing waves. The deep blue hue of the bottle encapsulates the sea’s endless depths, while glimpses of the golden liquid shine through like reflections of a morning sunrise. Surrounding the glass, beautifully crafted Scottish silverware fashioned by local Silversmith, Lucy Woodley encircles the finished vessel in all its splendour. The hidden cork, accessed only by a bespoke anchor key created by Glasstorm, beckons the senses, evoking the timeless rhythm of the sea.“ All rather floriferously poetic, perhaps, but it is, indeed, lovely. I hope whoever buys it has the good sense actually to drink it. The packaging can be retained empty as a piece of art but the whisky can be enjoyed. Details of other offerings are not on the Sotheby‘s or Distillers Company website but you can find more on https://www.luxuriousmagazine.com/second-the-distillers-one-of-one-auction/ .

Lastly, those lovely people at Bruichladdich are continuing their bit for the planet by using more light weight and recycled (60%) glass in their bottle. To celebrate this they have collaborated with artist Simon Berger (pictured here alongside his work). The sculpture is 1.75m tall, 3D and „was brought to life by intricately hammering 15 individual panes of disused glass by hand“. Brilliant and beautiful idea. I‘d love to see it permanently in situ at the distillery but no word on that in the info I have so have posed the question to them.

In the words of Looney Tunes cartoons, „That‘s all folks“ for this time. I‘ll be back end of July with more.

Slainte mhath,

Caroline