Kilchoman and Isle of Raasay on Taste; New from Diageo, Loch Lomond and Bruichladdich; The Dalmore …In Hat Boxes?; Arran Children‘s Charity Auction with Ewan McGregor

Hello everyone

Two promised samples arrived and are covered below. Another one or two to come before the end of month column. News-wise, I was pleased to hear that one of my former brands as a marketeer, Laphroaig, has a new manager (succeeding Barry MacAffer) in the shape of George Campbell. I hope I might get the chance to speak to him soon. Also, tangential to Laphroaig, came the news that John Campbell, Barry MacAffer‘s predecessor, is not only changing country but changing continents, just like Barry, to go and head up distilling and take on the COO position at Sespe Creek Distillery in California where they make whiskey, vodka and rum. Quite a coup for them, I‘d say. Sent him a note to wish him well. No response as yet but he‘s probably pretty busy with all that such a move entails. There are other news bits but let‘s look at the two whiskies on taste first.

First one I tried was Isle of Raasay Dun Cana Sherry Quarter Cask Release Second Edition. This one has been matured in American rye casks with a second maturation in Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry quarter casks and is bottled at 52% abv.

Appearance: Rich gold with brass highlights. Tears quite swift then more clingy and oily in appearance.

Nose: Smoky and sweet; toffee/candy floss. A slight vegetal note too which fades. Sweet oak shavings; soft vanilla; warm,sweet spices; soaked dried vine fruits. Charred wood. Fresh sea air and a salt water aroma. With water, a bit flatter at first and more waxy notes. Egg custard. Orange oil/ chocolate orange and a touch of golden syrup.

Palate: A slightly viscous palate. Wax, black pepper, smoke and sweet wood shavings. Licorice and treacle; salt.

Finish: Long and smoky with sweet, charred wood and ends dry.

Price for this one is around £85 in UK.

Second whisky being examined this time is Kilchoman Port Cask Matured, 50% abv and fully matured in ruby port hogsheads using refill casks used for the previous two port matured offerings. This made an interesting comparison with the Kilchoman 100% Islay 14th Edition featured last time.

Appearance: Mellow, soft old gold with a slight pink tinge. Brass highlights here too. Tears quite fat and seemingly oily.

Nose: Smoky and peaty – a cooling wood fire. Roasted barley. A touch of youth on the nose. Some light plum fruit; coffee grounds; leafy and earthy. Honeycomb – the type you cook, not the one out of a hive. With water, not a lot of change though maybe brings out red fruits and spices a little more.

Palate: Not quite as oily as expected. „Green“ notes; Very smoky and peppery (even with water); strong charred wood as if smoke caught in the throat; smoked ham and some salt. Residual sweetness on the tongue.

Finish: Long, very smoky and peaty. Heathery/herbal. Char/tar/creosote. Some bitters and dry.

We‘re told, The first release in 2014, was matured for three years in fresh port casks. The second edition, released in 2018, was a combination of three and four year old casks. This, the 2024 edition, was matured in refill casks used for both of the previous two releases.“ The younger of the two ages used in this one was 6 years old. It‘s certainly available in European markets now but the distillery did indicate end September that places a little further out would have to wait a bit longer. Price in UK from around £82 to over £90 dependent on retailer.

Of these two recent Kilchomans, my own preference is for the 100% Islay as I got a lot more on both nose and palate – much more layered in my view – but this one will surely have its fans too.

Loch Lomond Distillery has a new series, The Waypoint Series, a collection of age statement single malts of which the first expression is Loch Lomond Waypoint 16 Year Old. It‘s been matured in “…three kinds of ex-bourbon American Oak casks before finishing its flavour journey for 12 months in ex-Cognac barrels“. At the moment it‘s available only from The Whisky Shop here in the UK but will be rolled out to specialists in other markets. UK price point is around £82. I have been told there‘s a sample coming so I‘ll say a bit more next time.

I‘ve recently gone back to my bottle of The Falcon from Cardrona Distillery in New Zealand and enjoying its aromas again including toffee, coconut and ginger. A great quality whisky and I‘d still like to try this cask mix again when the whiskies, from the same cask types and used in the same proportions, are ten years old. Desiree Reid did say they were preparing for their tenth anniversary when I interviewed her months ago. We don‘t yet know what that expression will be but I‘m looking forward to finding out.

One of my favourite bits of packaging this year comes from Diageo for its Mortlach 50 Year Old, one of the oldest Mortlachs released. It does look like an expensive perfume bottle but is just so glamorous and would definitely bear daily inhaling if my own nosing of Mortlachs is anything to go by. This would look good on a bedroom dressing table but let‘s be real here. It‘s for drinking not admiring, if you can afford it at a recommended retail price of 30,000 US$ (excluding duty and taxes). More information is available at www.mortlach.com. It has come from a single refill American oak hogshead. This is the last release from the Singing Stills series by Mortlach and only a little over 60 bottles are available globally, “filled with the last spirit to emerge from its original direct-fire stills”. As I’ve said before, I do love a Mortlach and it’s lovely to think this one came into being with the aid of coal-fired stills. The Glendronach had them too till a previous owner took them out, much to my dismay.

Bruichladdich recently released Port Charlotte SYC:01 matured partly in syrah wine casks, a first for a Port Charlotte. The full maturation story is intial maturation in first fill (75%) and second fill (25%) bourbon barrels in 2103 before being racked into first fill syrah casks in 2018 so it‘s had about 6 years to absorb the goodness and enhancements from the red wine casks. Bottled at 54.4% abv, price is around £110 though the website is indicatiing sold out. You may find it in a specialist retailer. This expression was distilled from 100%, fully traceable Scottish grown barley, malted to 40 PPM and matured exclusively on Islay. Price is good and doubtless worth seeking given the care taken with all Bruichladdich’s output.

The Dalmore Cask Curation Series Port Edition is a result of an exclusive partnership between The Dalmore and Symington Family Estates in Portugal who grant The Dalmore’s whisky makers exclusive access to the rarest of Graham’s Port casks. The three rare whiskies are:

– Aged 27 Years, finished in very rare Graham’s 1997 Single Harvest Tawny Port casks

– Aged 30 Years, finished in very rare Graham’s 1994 Single Harvest Tawny Port casks

– Aged 43 Years, finished in exceptionally rare Graham’s 1952 Single Harvest Tawny Port casks

Each expression is natural colour and non-chill filtered.

This is another piece of glamorous and inventive packaging, the Port Edition being offered in bespoke leather-finished, handcrafted travel cases from Florence. They look like hatboxes from the days when travel was rather more luxurious and glamorous than it is now. However, if you can afford a set of The Port Edition at £35,000 then your travel experiences are probably already rather more glossy than mine. Looks fabulous and doubtless tastes as good as it looks under the careful curation of Richard Paterson and Gregg Glass. If anyone wants to spare some, I‘d be happy to help out. 

Craigellachie at Home is a new collection of scents for the home from the renowned Craigellachie Hotel on Speyside. They say, Our initiative was to create a range of products which enabled the customer feel like they are in a luxurious hotel 365 days of the year and bringing the Highlands to your home“. There are three fragrances in the collection: Whisky Mist, Beekeeper and Speyside View. The collection comprises products for hands, body, hair and laundry. You can find out more at https://craigellachieathome.com . I had an e-mail to let me sign up for a sample and two little bottles arrived of Whisky Mist in the laundry shampoo and conditioner formats. It smells lovely and has already been used here at home to wash my gym kit. The scents are used throughout the hotel and can also be purchased there as well as online. Do try them out (and, no, I‘m not on commission!).

A good news story to finish. Renowned Scottish actor Ewan McGregor, he of Trainspotting, Moulin Rouge, Star Wars and so much more, partnered with Isle of Arran Distillers to raise funds for Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS). The auction through Whisky Auctioneer and which closed for bidding earlier this month, has raised £135,000 for The cause. There were 150 exclusive bottles from Ewan‘s own personal 1998 cask (gifted to him by the distillery in 1998) of Arran Single Malt Whisky from its Lochranza Distillery. Each of the 150 bottle labels reads like a mini film script, with no two labels alike. In total, 543 bidders from 28 countries placed over 7,000 bids on “Ewan’s Cut”. The hammer price reached £119,893, further boosted by £15,107, as Whisky Auctioneer waived its seller’s commission and donated its 12.5% buyer’s commission, ensuring that the maximum possible funds reach CHAS. Bottle #1 of “Ewan’s Cut” achieved a hammer price of £4,350, setting a new record  for the highest price ever paid for a bottle of Arran single malt at auction. This rare 26 year old Arran Single Malt, matured in an ex-Sherry Hogshead cask, is one of the oldest whiskies ever produced by the Lochranza Distillery.“  Following the auction, Ewan McGregor said:

What a total! I just want to thank each and every one of our partners for putting the time, effort and work into this endeavour.  

CHAS has always been very close to my heart, and I am so proud that we were all able to raise such a sum for them. I know it’s the children they help and their families who will benefit a lot from this – so thank you very much to everyone involved and to those that placed generous bids in the auction.”

Well, that‘s quite a lot this time. I‘ll be back end of the month with more. Till then, happy dramming.

Slainte,

Caroline

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