The Whisky Tasting Series - Part 1

A whisk(e)y tasting is a very solemn ritual of discovery beyond savouring smells & tastes. It's between you and the whisk(e)y. It's honest & real.

This series is designed to make you an expert. When we are finished you will simply lift a glass of whisky and by just looking at the colour and sniffing the whisky in the glass - you will identify if it is as a Bourbon, Scotch or Irish - or not! You will know the cask it was aged in. You will tell whether it is a Single Malt, a blended Whisky or even a Bourbon. Here's to you becoming your own whisky master.

Some tricks that will help you along the way are:

The colour of the whisky when held up to the light. Any whisky man leading the whisky tasting and even half okay will tell you that whisky is matured in Oak casks. It is always Oak casks as Oak has the perfect porosity and level as tannins and lignans we need.

So if it is a ex-Bourbon Casks what then?
Some whiskies are entirely aged in ex Bourbon Cask, meaning that they have previously been used to age Bourbon for the minimum required period for Bourbon, which by law is 2 years. So Bourbon goes into the new wood and soften the wood impact for other whiskies and contributes one major flavours to other whiskies, namely Vanilla. You sometime find hints of banana and dustiness. Bourbon cask aged whiskies are a dryer compared to sherry cask aged whiskies. Bourbon Cask whiskies will be a light yellow colour.

If it is ex-Sherry casks what will this do for the whisky?
Some whiskies are also entirely aged in ex-Sherry casks. These casks have previously held sherry for varying periods of time. Not often years but months. Again this previous occupant has lessened the harsher wood impact and contributes to the flavour of the whisky. The two most notable flavours are toffee and caramel . There will also be some hint of the sherry and toasted notes often confused as some nut or other. Sherry cask aged whiskies are sweeter than Bourbon cask aged whiskies. Sherry cask whiskies are very dark plum in colour.

Whisky measure zero on the glucose table:
Although we refer to whiskies as sweet sometime, there is no sugar in whisky. Whisky measure zero on the glucose table and is the reason why doctors suggest that whisky is the only drink a diabetic can drink.

Lets recap Part 1.
If you lift your glass to the light and the colour is light yellow it is aged in ex-Bourbon casks and the whisky will be dryer & you know the main flavour on the nose will be vanilla.  If I told you to lift the ex-Sherry aged whisky to the light you will say from the dark plum colour that the whisky was aged in Sherry cask and without smelling will say that it is sweet with notes of toffee and caramel. Impress your guests Part 1.

See you soon

Memories Of A Great Gathering In West Africa

We recently held a conference in Libreville, Gabon with major added benefits.  We hosted several whisky tastings and a whisky dinner. We conducted hours of staff training. All tastings and dinners were well attended and often overcrowded. In our free time we flew, by helicopter, to the equator and took pictures to prove it. I have the picture of our group standing next to the lone red concrete column that marks the exact spot between the two hemispheres. We jumped from the Northern hemisphere to the Southern hemisphere many times. This raised several shallow remarks and some crude chuckles. We flew to a deserted stretch of land and walked along the beach to spend the rest of the day on a private beach where we conducted whisky tastings and training with staff from the various West African countries. What a setting!

Our lunch was fresh seafood, followed by lazing in the sun on stretch beds and later, some people choose to cool down in the sea. I suppose they were refreshing. The 'now very much more knowledgable' staff conducted tastings back to our group. Some were great, others simply brilliant with an obvious flair for public speaking. We were happy in the knowledge that all participants had learnt everything they needed to conduct tastings in their markets. We had an awesome time together and I will always have great memories of this trip because of the warmth of the people.

We will see results from people who live passionately and love what they do. We wish each and every one of you, our colleagues in West Africa the very best and that this time together will return rewards in your future. It was WOW! Thanks to Jean-Do and Joel for arranging the gathering.

NEW Jameson Select Reserve

One Small Batch Grain

and Potstill Blend.

One Hand Picked

Barrel Sellection.

One Single Distillery.

Once a Year.

Jameson Select Reserve is the newest expression from the Jameson Single Distillery, which has been hand selected by the *Four Jameson Masters to deliver an extremely rich and luxurious taste experience. A rare selection of small batch grain whiskey, not found in any other Jameson whiskey, combined with a high proportion of single Irish pot still whiskey aged up to 12 years is what makes the Select Reserve blend so bold and powerfully smooth.

The select grain whiskey triple distilled in small batch quantities is made on just one occasion each year and is put away to mature in the Jameson Single Distillery.

Oloroso sherry and bourbon oak casks are chosen by the Master Blender who personally selects and samples every single one. The casks he judges to be at their perfection are put aside and carefully blended together to present Jameson Select Reserve in a taste experience where the trademark Jameson notes of toasted wood, spice and vanilla can be found with unique creamy luscious touches of exotic fruits.

Tasting Characteristics:

Aroma: Rich and full, developing into the succulent sweetness of exotic fruits like nectarines, apricot and papaya.

Taste: A burst of rich flavours combine to produce a creamy, luscious taste experience. The special fruity sweetness from the grain remains consistent, while the waves of vanilla, toasted wood and spices roll through.

Finish: An incredibly long finish with fruit and wood spices lingering in perfect proportion delivering an extremely rich and luxurious taste experience.

* The Four Masters are: The Master Distiller - Barry Crockett, The Master Blender - Billy Leighton, The Master of Maturation - Brendan Monks and The Master of Whiskey Science - David Quinn.

November 2010 is whisky month with the annual 'FNB Whisky Live Festival' returning for its eighth year showcasing whiskies from around the world in Cape Town and Johannesburg.


The festival remains the largest and most exciting whisky show of its kind in the world. The festival is in the following centres and dates: The Cape Town International Convention Centre from Wednesday, 3 November to Friday, 5 November and at the Sandton Convention Centre from Wednesday, 10 November to Friday, 12 November.

 

Showcasing more than 180 local and international whiskies the festival offers so much more - what to look out for:

• Whisky Pairing Zone with fresh oysters, salmon, handmade chocolates, shortbread, Italian meats and French cheeses. 
• Other opportunity to interact with the people behind the brand includes: The Macallan Maturation zone, Glen Grant Distillation zone and Schweppes Art of Whisky Cocktail Making zone.
• Whisky workshops offering the best learning experience/best value for money at the show by visitors.
• The popular Lexus Connoisseur’s Experience - The Ultimate Guided Tour offering festival-goers the opportunity to be chauffeur driven to the festival and then savour exclusive and rare whiskies generally not available to the public while joining a personal guide on a tour of the distillery stands. The experience will also include light dinner, in the hospitality lounge.
• This year those who cannot get hold of a Lexus Ultimate Guided Tour ticket can have the benefit of tasting a selection of whiskies unavailable in the tasting hall in the comfort of a stylish lounge. The Whisky Lifestyle Lounge offering the perfect exclusive forum for client entertainment or simply networking and meeting up with like-minded friends. A light dinner is included. Tickets cost R495.00/person which includes your Tasting Hall entry ticket.

Tickets

Various exciting new tickets options for the Tasting Hall, as well as the other features, attractions and workshops are available from Webtickets from mid-September 2010, which can be accessed via the Whisky Live Festival website (Whisky Live Festival)

The FNB Whisky Live Festival promotes responsible drinking. No persons under the age of 18 years old will be allowed into the Tasting Hall, and dedicated driver tickets are available. Discounted food vouchers and a bottle of Valpre mineral water are included in the ticket price, and taxis will be on hand to ensure that everyone in your party is able to have a good time. Part of the proceeds will continue to be donated to The Foundation of Alcohol Related Research.

 

For more information please visit the website - www.whiskylivefestival.co.za – or e-mail contact@whiskylivefestival.co.za.

Jameson Reserves

WHAT MAKES THESE WHISKEYS EXTRA SPECIAL?

When the 4 Masters come together to make the best that Jameson has to offer, 3 distinct criteria need to be met to ensure these whiskeys are worthy of the name Reserve…

HIGH POT STILL CONTENT

All whiskeys permitted to bear the Reserve name must firstly have a high pot still content, courtesy of the yeast fermented mash of malted and unmalted barley produced in traditional copper pot stills. This is where the Master of Whiskey Science and the Master Distiller’s attention to detail ensures that the distillates used for blending with other whiskeys have a characteristically rich, full bodied flavour.

LIMITED STOCKS

All our Reserve whiskeys are significantly aged and these are limited in stock. They are carefully managed in order to best utilise them and create truly extra special whiskeys, namely Jameson Reserves.

HAND PICKED CASKS

In addition to the unparalleled personal attention the Reserves enjoy throughout the entire production process, the final element that helps to compose a true Reserve whiskey is all about the casks and the distillates used. Jameson takes a lot of pride in ensuring that our cask quality is world class and that unlimited resources are available to ensure the finest casks are commissioned and selected for the individual whiskeys. Given the small quantity these Reserve whiskeys are produced in, a sub standard cask can be the undoing of all the expertise that has preceded this stage in their creation. Exhaustive steps are taken by the Master Blender and Master of Maturation to hand pick and sample each wooden cask to assess their suitability for blending, maturing and vatting whiskeys.

RESERVE PREMIUM

This is the critical factor in a balancing act that can add either ‘light’ and ‘shade’ in varying hues to the overall picture of the whiskey(s) profile. For example, with Jameson Gold Reserve, virgin oak barrels are used with certain distillates, as the fresher the barrel, the more the whiskey reacts with the wood itself, which helps develop a more robust, complex flavour. To moderate the effect the casks have on a whiskey, other distillates from second or third fill barrels may be married with this to temper the exuberance and mellow the taste, whilst oloroso casks will contribute a sweeter, sherried accent and finish. In the words of Jameson Master Blender, Billy Leighton, “The distillates and casks you leave out of a Reserve blend are almost as significant as those you put in.”

Together these 3 criteria exert a varying but essential influence depending on the type of whiskey being made, allowing it to develop into something that is more than the sum of its parts; a Jameson Reserve.


JAMESON . . . TOO SPECIAL TO RESERVE .

Like many of the finer things in life, the Jameson Reserves were created for one reason only… to be enjoyed! We believe that our Reserve whiskeys are very special indeed, although not too special to reserve just for formal occasions or events. Given the years it takes to distil, blend and mature these Jameson Reserves, life really is too short, so any opportunity to share them in the good company of friends or family should always be seen as a special occasion…

The enjoyment of Jameson Reserve Whiskeys is a threefold experience, where the subtleties of the flavour spectrum are revealed in the nuances of its nose, taste and finish… But what are these? Very simply these are three sensory stages that greatly enhance the appreciation and understanding of the differences between each of these Reserve whiskeys.

NOSE

Firstly, the ‘nose’ is the characteristic aroma that each Reserve releases and is best appreciated through a rounded glass with a tapering end that guides the aroma towards the top. Terms to describe the nose can vary from light to rich, woody, spicy and aromatic or mellow, to simple and complex. These individual traits become more pronounced with the addition of a little water, which brings the full bouquet of the spirit to the fore. As with all of the Reserves, their pot still character ensures the nose of each is rich and full bodied, whilst its colour or hue will suggest the types of cask, such as sherry, bourbon or port that they were matured in.

TASTE

As the first sip is held in the mouth, the numerous, acutely sensitive taste buds of the tongue differentiate the lavish taste profile of the whiskey. The tip of the tongue is where we detect sweetness and at the sides a more savoury flavour. As a rule, the finer the whiskey the more accents of flavour are awakened in the mouth as a whole, rather than specific areas of the tongue. ‘Taste’ is often described in terms of hints of sherry richness, spicy, nutty, vanilla, dark chocolate, woody, honeyed, oily and malty and all the Reserve whiskeys will stimulate the taste buds to enjoy a number of these flavours.

FINISH

Having savoured the nose and taste, the ‘finish’ refers to the more defined feeling of flavour that is left in the mouth and may be noticeably different from the initial sip. This is the finale and the encore, depending on whether the whiskey has a long, lingering finish or ends with a shorter more robust flavour. This finish or aftertaste may leave either a sweet, dry or smooth essence on the tongue. Once again the Reserves each have a finish of generous proportions and a lavish spectrum of bighearted flavours.