Major Scotch whisky capacity increase since 2010

Roseisle is a first large-scale malt distillery that was opened in Scotland in August 2010 by Diageo. Roseisle will distill up to 10 million liters of single-malt whisky a year. The liquor will be used to produce blended whiskies such as Johnnie Walker and J&B. The $60-million distillery has 14 copper whisky stills, and although traditional, is one of the top high tech distilleries.

The above is the Roseisle distillery

Earlier in the year, Pernod Ricard increased The Glenlivet single-malt whisky distillery in Scotland’s production capacity by 75%.

The Glenlivet Distillery has expanded capacity by 75% 

In the past three years, various liquor companies have spent over £600 million to expand whisky production facilities in Scotland, marking an increase in distilling capacity that has not been seen in decades, according to the Scotch Whisky Association.

Jameson Original Ginger Grapefruit special

I attended a glamorous functions with the staff of Irish Distillers at The Lanzerac Hotel nestled between vineyard and shadowed by the most spectacular mountain range.

I came across an awesome Jameson long drink which was the signature drink for the night. Jameson Whiskey, Ginger Beer and a slice of Grapefruit with ice. It is my new long drink.


In a tall glass
50ml Jameson Original
250ml Ginger Ale
Slice of red Grapefruit
Ice
Muddle ingredients


Enjoy the drink. Have a blast because this is such an easy drink and you will want another and another,

Not the best five Single Malts - Mr Fa Fa.

In his recent article date 25 January 2013, titled: Five of The Best: Single Malts; published in the Financial Times, Mr. Andrew Jefford waxes on lyrically about his favourite whiskies. I don't mind Mr. Jefford sharing his personal taste with me and the rest of the world, but I am ever-so-slightly appalled by Mr. Jefford's crude slamming of whiskies I personally rate as some of the best available. 

I have immense respect for Mr. Andrew Jefford as a wine writer, journalist (award winning at that). I like Mr Jefford's Blog where you discover he is an Islay whisky fan. I appreciate his contribution to Decanter where he shares his in-depth wine knowledge. This does not assure me that Mr. Jefford is qualified as the single authority to decide the best five single malt whiskies. These are his favourite five. It goes without saying that I do not agree with Mr. Jefford's favourite five. After conducting a quick guerrilla market research I discover that none of my firends-in-whisky agree with this list either.


Mr Jefford Personally Tastes Over 600 Single Malts?
From his personal selection of single malts, which Mr. Jefford lists, I must assume that Mr. Jefford has personally gone about tasting the thousand's of Scotch single malt whiskies available. If Mr. Jefford tasted only one single malt from each of Scotland's distilleries he tasted at least one hundred single malts and did the comparative analysis. If he tasted each distillers full range of expressions he has tasted at least six hundred whiskies and did the comparative analysis of each one.

The Glenlivet is the quintessential Speyside single malt
In his struggle to find the perfect Speyside Malt Mr. Jefford chooses to refer to the world's two leading single malts, Glenfiddich and The Glenlivet as bland. I have huge regard for many whisky writers who refer to The Glenlivet as the Sean Connery of single malt and as the late whisky writer, Mr Michael Jackson stated - The Glenlivet is the quintessential single malt against which all other single malts are measured. Mr Jefford picks Craggonmore 12 year old at 40% ABV from Diageo?

The above photograph is the property of Mark Backhouse. If you copy and use the photo please state your source as: Mark Backhouse -  http://beankeeper.blogspot.com - The Whisky Notebook

Aberlour Single Malt has won the Pure Pot Still trophy more than any other single malt whisky ever. Aberlour is easily the best Speyside single Malts ahead of Craggonmore anyday.

Aberfeldy Is The Better Highland Single Malt
For his best Highland Single Malt, Mr Jefford's second choice is Dalwhinnie 15 year old at 43% also from Diageo? Seriously! This is one of my least favourite whiskies which I find incredibly bland and lacking character. Both The Glenlivet and Glenfiddich have ten times more character than Dalwhinnie. I am also not partial to a particular smell I get from Dalwhinnie. I suggest the readers rather try any Aberfeldy or Glenmorangie Single Malt.

Highland Park is Good
Mr Jefford's third choice is a great choice. Highland Park 18 year old at 43%, owned by the Edrington Group is his thrid choice. I suggest the full range of Highland Park is awesome and deserves a place far ahead of his first two choices.

Laphroaig 10 year old 43% is also great
Mr Jefford's fourth choice is Laphroaig 10 year old cask strength (55.3%) owned by Beam Inc. and as far as the smokey whiskies are concerned I agree it is the better of the lot.

Springbank is Different
And finally, Mr Jefford's fifth choice is Springbank 10 year old 46% ABV. Although I have great respect for Springbank Single Malt I am not sure if it fits in as the fifth best single malt in the world. Don't get me wrong, this single malt is much better than Mr Jefford's number one and number two choice but would I have it in my own top five list? No!

In Closing
I suppose getting two out of five right is a good average if you want to be so arrogant about making a top list that you do not make clear and qualify as your own top five list. So much for taste. This kind of top five list is much like stating the five best colours in the world. At least we can source some stats to back up colour choice. Oh wait - which are the top selling whiskies in the world? Maybe we should look at some stats. I seriously do not understand how a reputable institution like the Financial Times end up publishing a list like this and then bother to copyright the article?

I cannot get Jeff Dunham's character "Peanut" out of my head. The scene is when Peanut swooshes his dummy hand over his own head and says "Jeff Fa Fa".

Shanghai index down 0.49% as distilleries tumble

"China's high-end liquors face a grim future because the government is reining in excessive public spending. Weak demand due to a sluggish economy also erodes their profitability," BOC International (China) Ltd said in a report today. Link to full article HERE. Article from Sina Business News.

Happy Birthday Robert Burns - Born 25 January 1796

Scotland's favourite son, Robert Burns, was born on this day, 25 January, in 1796.

When Lincoln was asked to pen a toast to Robert Burn - it read as follows: "I cannot frame a toast to Burns. I can say nothing worthy of his generous heart and transcendent genius. Thinking of what he has said, I cannot say anything worth saying"

Lincoln's final reference to Burns happened on a boat sailing down the Potomac River in early April 1865: " . . .Burns never touched sentiment without carrying it to its ultimate expression and leaving nothing further to be said". 

Besides a loved son of Scotland, Burns became the 'peoples poet' of Russia. They even honoured him with a commemorative stamp in 1956. He is still well loved in Russia today.

Robert Burns dinners are being held in venues right across South Africa tonight. I shall have a dram in honour of a great man. Thirty Seven was much to young to pass but his legacy is forever.

Robert Burns died 21 July 1796. On this same day in 1990, Pink Floyds "The Wall" was performed where the Berlin Wall once stood. On this same day in 2005 we watch modern terror as four terrorist bombings target London's underground transportation system. On this day we rather honour the good in man.

Robbie Burns the Che of Yesterday

Robert Burns - "The Whiskey Notebook" honours your incredible genius and contribution to mankind. Your fellow Scottish brethren who have contributed to society so immensely are honoured with you today. James Watt for the steam engine, Alexander Graham  Bell for the telephone, John Loudon McAdam for better tarred roads, John Logie Beard for the Television, Alexander Fleming for Penicillin, Henry Faulds for fingerprinting, Robert Watson-Watt for Radar and the list goes on and on. We are, however, most pleased about the most important contribution the Scots have given to the world - this is without doubt Scotch Whisky! Cheers Robert Burns.

If you want to find out almost everything about the man, visit: www.robertburns.org. You can even learn how to set up a Burns Supper on this site. 

The included picture above is available in google image search and remain the property of the creator.

Drinks Apps

I have come across so many iPad applications and my personality gaurantees that I at least try out every last one I come across. Many are incredibly dissapointing, and more of these have been those I paid for. I list six Apps I like. Drinkspiration is vast.

1) Drinkspiration is the brainchild of the creative folk at Absolut Vodka. This is the best cocktail application available in my opinion. The best part is that it is free. Even better still is that Absolut consulted the best barmen in the world for this. Every conceivable cocktail using every type of spirt is on this App. The App is available for iPad, iPhone or Android. To download your version of this app click HERE. You will need to enter your age as the material is for those older than 18. There are 2 button at the bottom of the Drinkspiration App once loaded - collection and Drink Search. Click on the Drink Search button and simply scroll around. It's almost never-ending. Once you get into the Drink Search section, several new button appear at the bottom the screen which now allows you to search by taste, spirit, occasion, glass and skill level. I have started practising as a beginner on the skill level. I  enjoyed my French 95 cocktail earlier. It's made with 4 parts orange juice, 2 parts simple syrup, Champagne, 3 part Jameson (the recipe asked for bourbon and I am out) and 3 part lemon juice (I reduced the lemon to 2 parts).

The two whiskey Apps I really enjoy are 2) Chivas 18 and 3) The Glenlivet. The Chivas 18 App is not comprehensive but stylish. The Glenlivet App is both stylish, informative and entertaining. I absolutely love the The Glenlivet video you get to watch - very creative.

Beefeater Gin have put together four Apps that are fun and each very different. My favourite is the Classic Drinks App. The other three Beefeater Apps are : 4) Inspiration, 5) London Gins and 6) English Gin.

For those who may not know how to get these application  - click on the App Store icon on your iPad, then type the names as I have typed them into the search box at the top right of the screen. The App will come up - simply click the FREE button for each and the download will start.

Jim Murray Tosses A Toffee

I think Mr Jim Murray is being quite rude about the whiskey industry in generalising about Scotch whisky in the manner he has done in his recent whisky bible. 

Mr. Murray wants all distillers to employ a blender who can spot the problem of rotten eggs in their whisky. He goes on to say that distillers have their head in the sand; that increasingly he meets people who are being turned off by this stink bomb nose and bitter finish they cannot tolerate. In one sentence he states: 'We have got to the stage where a significant number of bottles are substandard.' He goes on to state that in the new edition of the Whisky Bible: 'we are facing crisis time. This is no longer an occasional problem, it’s rampant’.

Most distilleries I know of in Scotland employ individuals far more qualified than Mr Murray to do the distilling, blending and maturation job. Rather than seek cheap publicity by being so controversial, name and shame those distillers and give them the opportunity to defend themselves.

To be fair, Mr Murray does name one malt in the 2013 edition of his 'Whisky Bible' - Arran Malt - Devil’s Punch Bowl - the tipples tainted - 'ruinous brimstone'. Not nice sir. Many folk love Arran whiskies but at least they have the opportunity to respond. The rest of the Scotch whisky world wonder what the hell you are talking about.

Picture from the Arran Distillery website picture gallery

By the way - Arran Malt has won many International Spirit Championships including golds and double golds. In 2007 Arran distillery received the "Distiller of the Year" award. So it seems it's a case of one versus many. Or maybe there are rotten eggs somewhere? 

In closing:I purchased the online version of Mr Murray's Whisky Bible and will not do so again. Not because of this but merely because it is not worth it. Michael Jackson's whisky books are still the benchmark but he is no longer around. There are some other awesome whisky writers around that I continue to follow.

Paul Pacult (pictured left) is recognised as America's foremost spirits authority. The F. Paul Pacult's Spirit Journal is considered the premier source of review, evaluation and know how.

Charles MacLean and Dave Broom are also knowledgeable on whiskies and both have written some sterling works.