All things French by Mark Backhouse
I trust that you enjoyed our whisky journey in the previous issue and that you tried some new whiskies.
The part of the ‘drinks’ world we cover in this issue is all things French. The French don’t merely drink a spirit; they own the complete category of spirit. Champagne, Cognac, Armagnac, Calvados and ‘Pastis’, are some categories unique to the French. Even with wine the French differentiate: they have wines such as Bordeaux, Chablis and more.
When it comes to presentation - Champagne is foiled and wrapped in glamour, Cognac bottles bold and ornate almost perfume-like, while Armagnac and Calvados bottles are snuggled with slim wood shavings in hand-made engraved wooden boxes. When we drink these world famous French spirits we use flutes for Champagne, a Cognac snifter for Cognac, a white wine glass for Armagnac, a Tulip glass for Calvados - we follow etiquette carefully. We have detailed rituals to ensure the correct consumption of these premium luxury spirits.
CHAMPAGNE
Champagne can only be produced in a defined area** of north east France. Two abbeys became the birthplace of naturally sparkling wine which was created by two cellar masters, Frère Jean Oudart and Dom Pierre Pérignon (not to be mistaken for the Champagne which was first produced in 1936). Champagne is essentially a wine with bubbles. The bubbles are achieved with in-bottle fermentation*, which was not always the case - sparkling wines were the result of an accident. When shipped abroad in cask, warm spring weather frequently set off a secondary fermentation in the cask. When the wines arrived at their destination, they were bottled immediately and retained a lively sparkle. This sparked the deliberate attempt to capture the ‘mousse’ in the bottle. Better Champagne is aged from two to three years in underground cellars. (The Romans quarried the chalky hillsides in Champagne up to three hundred feet deep, for chalk building blocks. Today the chalk pits are cellars for millions of bottles of Champagne). Famous Champagne producers are Mumm, Perrier-Jouët, Bollinger, Dom Pérignon, Krug, Laurent-Perrier, Moët et Chandon, Pommery, Taittinger, Veuve Clicquot, etc. These Champagnes are available through premium liquor stores and at premium restaurants in South Africa.
* The Classic method of making champagne is by creating a second fermentation in the bottle – the process is called ‘Method Champagne’, also used when making South African ‘Cap Classique’ or ‘Cava’ in Spain and ‘Asti’ in Italy. The Charmat method is produced in large tanks as opposed to bottles and finally - the cheaper sparkling wines inject carbon dioxide into the bottle.
**The official body that determines France's wine laws has decided to expand the country's champagne-producing region to meet growing worldwide demand. A century-old law has restricted champagne production to just 370 villages in north eastern France, but with demand now outstripping supply, the group is admitting 40 more communities.
ARMAGNAC
The Armagnac region is in South-Western France and the spirit from this region is the oldest in France dating back to the early 15th century. The place Armagnac is the birthplace of brandy and its many illustrious members include Count d'Artagnan, musketeer to King Louis XIII and hero of Alexandre Dumas' novel "The Three Musketeers". The Marquis de Montesquieu family members are his direct descendants and their ‘Armagnac de Montesquieu’ is legendary. Armagnac uses the quicker column still process to produce the new spirit and is generally aged in Gascon oak producing a stronger spirit with higher tannins. Many people prefer Armagnac to Cognac. Armagnac is normally consumed after a meal. Armagnac de Montesquieu is available through premium liquor stores and at premium restaurants in South Africa.
COGNAC
The Cognac region is in South Western France, north of Armagnac, and the spirit is France’s best known brandy. There are six distinct growing regions in Cognac, listed in order of price as follows; the ‘Borderies’ is central to Cognac and is the smallest of the regions, followed by ‘Petite Champagne’, ‘Grand Champagne’, ‘Fin Bois’ (Fine Woods), ‘Bon Bois’ (Good Woods) and Bois Ordinaires (Ordinary Woods). A great Cognac would have more of the ‘Borderies’ and ‘Petite Champagne’ grapes. This is noted on the label. Martell Cognac only contains grapes from the top four Cognac regions and is the dominant user of the ‘Borderies’ grapes. Remy Martin is a Fine Champagne Cognac using grapes from only the two Champagne grape regions. These and other famous Cognacs contain ‘eaux-de-vie’, stored in ‘Paradis’*, which is more than 100 years old. (*Paradis is a windowless warehouse containing Cognac which has been aged in Oak for 50 years, then transferred to large glass bottles for storage and marrying of the alcohols – many of these Cognacs have been in these 50 litre glass demi-john’s since the early 1800’s) Cognac uses the more traditional slower copper pot still process to distil the new spirit and is aged in either Limousin or Tronçais Oak. Tronçais Oak produces a refined Cognac due to the tighter grain and lower tannins. It is not correct to heat Cognac in any way other than in the palm of your hands. Cognac is normally consumed after a meal.
Footnote: There are eight oak forests in France of which Limousin and Tronçais are two. The Tronçais forests were planted to produce wood for the ship building industry – the trees are planted closely producing tall and compact oak. Limousin oak is prized because it is loosely grained and therefore imparts a more obvious oak flavour and stronger tannins as opposed to Tronçais oak which is tightly grained and low in tannins.
CALVADOS
Calvados is an apple brandy hailing from the French region of Normandy. It is distilled from specially grown apples, of which there are over 200 named varieties. Many Calvados producers use over 100 varieties of apple to produce their Calvados. The fruit is picked, pressed into a juice and is fermented into a dry cider. It is then distilled in the slower traditional copper pot still into new clear spirit before being aged for two years in oak casks. Calvados is normally consumed during the meal – with or without ice. Busnel Calvados is available through premium liquor stores and at premium restaurants in South Africa.
PASTIS
Many people have never heard of Pastis. Pastis is the largest French drink category. The two most famous brands are Pernod and Ricard. So massive is this French spirit category that the Pernod distillery produced over 30,000 litres per day in the early 1800,s and Ricard has become the world’s 6th largest spirit brand. It is the French countryside in a glass and to the French it is their beer – when last have you seen an overweight Frenchman.
PERNOD & RICARD
Pernod started life as the original absinthe drink created in 1792 by a French physician. Henri-Louis Pernod acquired the absinthe formula and immediately started to manufacture. Pernod’s appeal was reinforced by an alcohol by volume of 65-75%, and that it contained the all important hallucinogenic thujone (absinthe “Arthemisia Absinthium”). An absinthe ritual quickly took hold - water was poured into an ‘absinthe glass’ through a perforated spoon, loaded with a sugar cube – the drink turned a distinctive cloudy white - visually appealing, beautifully enigmatic, and revitalising. ‘The Green Fairy’ was so popular with the Parisian artistic and literary set that the cocktail hour was renamed 'l'Heure Verte' (Green Time). Oscar Wilde, Picasso, philosophers and artists alike, all enjoyed their petit ‘heure verte’! Pernod, the drink of choice, brought their thoughts alive as they socialised in the cafes and bars of Paris.
After the imposition of a French ban on wormwood due to its hallucinogenic effects in 1915, the absinthe formula was modified, resulting in Pernod as we know it today – a 40% alcohol (80 proof) anise-flavoured spirit. The ban opened the door for another pastis: “It’ll be called Ricard, the real pastis from Marseille.” The place is Marseille, the year 1932. Paul Ricard, aged only 23, created his own style of spirit, lending it his name and linking it to his native city. And today Ricard is the 6th largest spirit brand in the world. Ricard is made up of delights from the Mediterranean and the Orient: star anise from China, liquorice from Syria, and herbs from Provence.
How to drink Pastis? 5 Parts water and 1 part Pastis but if you want it more refreshing, you can add up to 10 volumes of water (water first). You can also substitute water with fresh fruit juice. Pernod and Orange juice, Ricard and pineapple juice and many other options will always be refreshing.As this has been an introduction to ‘all things French’ I will cover Pastis exclusively and more extensively in the next quarter edition.
Monday, 26 January 2009
Wednesday, 29 October 2008
The idiots guide to choosing a great whisky.
Scotch whisky is by far the dominant whisky in the world. Irish whisky is fast regaining its popularity. American whisky is mainly referred to as bourbon. Other countries also produce whisky, but these three countries dominate.
First and foremost, let’s clear up what is whisky or whiskey. Before it can be called whisk(e)y: It must be made only with natural raw materials, It must be distilled and matured in the country of origin e.g. Scotland, Ireland or America; It must be aged for a minimum of three years in oak casks in Scotland and Ireland and two years in America. The more premium the whisky the longer it is aged. Generally all whisky older than 10 years will show the age of the whisky on the label. Generally a low priced whisky will contain 3 year old whisky; a medium priced whisky will contain whisky from between 5 an 7 years. You get the drift – you generally get what you pay for. In whisky, unlike brandy – every drop in the bottle is as old as or older than the age stated on the label. Only 30% of standard brandy is at the age stated on the label.
There are two types of casks used in Scotch whisky and Irish whiskey; namely ex Bourbon barrels from the US or Sherry casks from Spain. The bourbon barrel produces a much lighter whiskey and contribute a vanilla flavour while the sherry cask produces a much darker whisk(e)y and contributes a toffee caramel flavour. So when you pour your whisky and look at the colour, you can already begin to suggest that if it is lighter it will have a vanilla nose and sound glam. If it is darker you can already suggest a nose of toffee caramel. American whiskey is aged in new oak barrels.
Why are some bottles clear and others green? When whisky is in a clear bottle the whisky producer will add neutral caramel to window dress the product for consistent look on shelf, when in a green bottle this is not needed.
What are the key things to note from a whisky label? First and foremost check the country of origin. Note that some whiskies are distilled and matured in the country of origin but bottled in South Africa. Then you want to know what you are paying for? The majority of whisky is blended Scotch whisky which means it is a blend of various single malt whiskies together with grain whisky. The more malt whisky in a bottle the more premium the whisky and the more expensive. The cheaper whiskies contain modest amounts of malt whisky. A Pure Malt whisky is a blend of single malt whiskies and a Single malt whisky is a single distillate from a single distillery. If you want to spoil yourself it must be a single malt whisky and if you want the best single malt Scotch whisky it has to be from Speyside in Scotland. Speyside contain more than half of the distilleries in Scotland for good reason.
Now for some dispelling of an old urban legend – the ‘A’ or ‘B’ number on the label. These are generally followed by a number e.g. 'B'372 or 'A'159. The 'A' stands for locally produced, the 'B' stands for imported and the number following is the dedicated number of the importer. You will find this number repeated on many product e.g. Chivas Regal will have the same number as Beefeater Gin and you will know then that this is from the same supplier and because it starts with a 'B' it is fully imported.
Scotch whisky is by far the dominant whisky in the world. Irish whisky is fast regaining its popularity. American whisky is mainly referred to as bourbon. Other countries also produce whisky, but these three countries dominate.
First and foremost, let’s clear up what is whisky or whiskey. Before it can be called whisk(e)y: It must be made only with natural raw materials, It must be distilled and matured in the country of origin e.g. Scotland, Ireland or America; It must be aged for a minimum of three years in oak casks in Scotland and Ireland and two years in America. The more premium the whisky the longer it is aged. Generally all whisky older than 10 years will show the age of the whisky on the label. Generally a low priced whisky will contain 3 year old whisky; a medium priced whisky will contain whisky from between 5 an 7 years. You get the drift – you generally get what you pay for. In whisky, unlike brandy – every drop in the bottle is as old as or older than the age stated on the label. Only 30% of standard brandy is at the age stated on the label.
There are two types of casks used in Scotch whisky and Irish whiskey; namely ex Bourbon barrels from the US or Sherry casks from Spain. The bourbon barrel produces a much lighter whiskey and contribute a vanilla flavour while the sherry cask produces a much darker whisk(e)y and contributes a toffee caramel flavour. So when you pour your whisky and look at the colour, you can already begin to suggest that if it is lighter it will have a vanilla nose and sound glam. If it is darker you can already suggest a nose of toffee caramel. American whiskey is aged in new oak barrels.
Why are some bottles clear and others green? When whisky is in a clear bottle the whisky producer will add neutral caramel to window dress the product for consistent look on shelf, when in a green bottle this is not needed.
What are the key things to note from a whisky label? First and foremost check the country of origin. Note that some whiskies are distilled and matured in the country of origin but bottled in South Africa. Then you want to know what you are paying for? The majority of whisky is blended Scotch whisky which means it is a blend of various single malt whiskies together with grain whisky. The more malt whisky in a bottle the more premium the whisky and the more expensive. The cheaper whiskies contain modest amounts of malt whisky. A Pure Malt whisky is a blend of single malt whiskies and a Single malt whisky is a single distillate from a single distillery. If you want to spoil yourself it must be a single malt whisky and if you want the best single malt Scotch whisky it has to be from Speyside in Scotland. Speyside contain more than half of the distilleries in Scotland for good reason.
Now for some dispelling of an old urban legend – the ‘A’ or ‘B’ number on the label. These are generally followed by a number e.g. 'B'372 or 'A'159. The 'A' stands for locally produced, the 'B' stands for imported and the number following is the dedicated number of the importer. You will find this number repeated on many product e.g. Chivas Regal will have the same number as Beefeater Gin and you will know then that this is from the same supplier and because it starts with a 'B' it is fully imported.
Thursday, 23 October 2008
Whisky or Whiskey in a nutshell
by Mark Backhouse
written for Status Qua magazines next quarterly issue
Whisky has become a passion of mine. I did not mean for this to happen considering that I was a teetotaler into my early thirties. Alcohol tasted really bad, but I was determined to have a ‘drink’ I might enjoy occasionally. A great friend of mine suggested easing into whisky. He poured a single Jameson Irish Whiskey, added Ginger Ale, a slice of lemon and two cubes of ice. I had tried the same mix with a Scotch whisky previously but the triple distilled whiskey without the smoke just worked and I was hooked. This was my drink of choice for many years before I started to experiment with other possibilities.
It is therefore thanks to Jameson Whiskey that I have also become a Scotch whisky master, and that I have today, a fastidious penchant for great single malt whiskies. I am mostly partial to whiskies from the Speyside region in Scotland as many of these are hardly smoked.
I state two facts so far assuming know-how by you, this includes Scotch whisky regions and the term ‘smoked’; allow me to reveal the hidden meanings behind the smoking screen:
The Regions explained: There are 6 Scotch whisky regions in Scotland, namely: Speyside, Highland, Lowland, Islay, Campbelltown and The Island regions. Speyside is the champagne region for Scotch whisky. This statement seems bold but some facts that support this are: half of all Scotch whisky distilleries are in Speyside; that the world’s top 5 selling single malt whiskies all originate from Speyside; that most of the leading premium whiskies of the world’s central heart malts distilleries are in Speyside. Of the over 85 distilleries in Scotland, 49 distilleries are in Speyside. Enough said.
The most famous and leading Single Malts in the world that you may want to try are the two Speyside greats; Glenfiddich and The Glenlivet. Then again the largest single malt drinking nation in the world - France chooses another Speyside great - Aberlour as their number one. Other exceptional Speyside single malt whiskies to try include: Balvenie, Longmorn, Macallan and Strathisla.
The other regions produce some exceptional whiskies. The Highlands have 20 active distilleries and the classic malts are probably Glenmorangie and Old Pulteney. The Lowlands is home to 7 active distilleries and here the classic is the only triple distilled Scotch malt whisky named Auchentoshan. Islay is home to 8 active distilleries and famous for smokey whiskies; the smokiest single malt from Islay is Ardbeg. Campbelltown is home to 2 distilleries and the most recognized single malt whisky is Springbank. The Island region is home to 6 active distilleries. Two great single malts from the Islands are Highland Park and Scapa.
Now for the second point – ‘smoked’ explained: Simply put, the raw material used in making whisky is barley and in the process of making whisky we need to dry the barley. It is at this drying stage that we add ‘peat’ (putrefied organic matter). This addition of ‘peat’ and the amount of ‘peat’ determines how smokey the whisky is in the final product we purchase at our local liquor store. In Ireland we use hot air to dry the barley and therefore Irish whisky is never disguised by a smokey taste. The Speyside region is distinguished for its distinct lack or minimal smoke flavours. The Islay region is the direct opposite, offering some challenging whiskies where the smoke in them is older ashtray followed by seaside notes of moist salty air and musty seaweed. Some are great examples and the best in my opinion is Laphroaig10 year old.
I am satisfied to have explained some basics about whisky, but the key is the actual drinking of whisky. Some typical sentences I had heard before I came to know whisky are: “Sacrilege!” usually followed by a smirk or a look of disgust – the kind that is meant to belittle you. “How can you mix it with water?” or “don’t dare add that soda to your whisky.” The best statement most often used is “they perfected it for many years and you destroy it by adding water!” I became very irritated by these whisky aficionados and even with whisky itself because in my mind snobs and old farts drank whisky. It turns out that these protagonists were simply misguided by years of urban legend and hand-me-down stories.
The art to drinking whisky is how you choose to drink it – just drink it that’s all. You will find the way you most prefer in your own time. I enjoy Jameson the same way I started drinking whiskey. I love Aberlour single malt with a splash of water and one block of ice added after. I spend the entire evening nosing the brilliant aromas with sips in between. I will only drink a whisky neat if it is more than 18 years old and only if a fine example of the expression. These are my choices – find yours.
To the non whisky drinkers, I challenge you to drink the healthiest alcohol beverage around. Whiskey measures zero on the CI table (clucose index table) even a diabetic sufferer may drink whiskey. If you are a brandy drinker you simply haven’t found your whisky yet. If you are an occasional drinker or cocktail drinker – mix it your way. Remember whisky was born as “the water of life”.
For those who have been paying attention and are irritated by my sometimes spelling “whisky” and other times “whiskey” I will explain. Scotch whisky is spelt with the ‘y’ at the end. Irish and American whiskey is with the ‘ey’ at the end. The most significant difference is in the plural where the entire world spells it ‘whiskies’ and only Ireland spell it ‘whiskeys’. There is one simple reason for this – the Irish were the first to make whiskey and this is Irish whiskeys claim of distinction.It is amusing how things change and one way or another seem to stay the same, I have a generous serving of the premium ‘Jameson Gold’ poured into a snifter ‘tulip’ shaped glass perched at the end of my desk waiting for me. Cheers! See you in the next quarter serving!
written for Status Qua magazines next quarterly issue
Whisky has become a passion of mine. I did not mean for this to happen considering that I was a teetotaler into my early thirties. Alcohol tasted really bad, but I was determined to have a ‘drink’ I might enjoy occasionally. A great friend of mine suggested easing into whisky. He poured a single Jameson Irish Whiskey, added Ginger Ale, a slice of lemon and two cubes of ice. I had tried the same mix with a Scotch whisky previously but the triple distilled whiskey without the smoke just worked and I was hooked. This was my drink of choice for many years before I started to experiment with other possibilities.
It is therefore thanks to Jameson Whiskey that I have also become a Scotch whisky master, and that I have today, a fastidious penchant for great single malt whiskies. I am mostly partial to whiskies from the Speyside region in Scotland as many of these are hardly smoked.
I state two facts so far assuming know-how by you, this includes Scotch whisky regions and the term ‘smoked’; allow me to reveal the hidden meanings behind the smoking screen:
The Regions explained: There are 6 Scotch whisky regions in Scotland, namely: Speyside, Highland, Lowland, Islay, Campbelltown and The Island regions. Speyside is the champagne region for Scotch whisky. This statement seems bold but some facts that support this are: half of all Scotch whisky distilleries are in Speyside; that the world’s top 5 selling single malt whiskies all originate from Speyside; that most of the leading premium whiskies of the world’s central heart malts distilleries are in Speyside. Of the over 85 distilleries in Scotland, 49 distilleries are in Speyside. Enough said.
The most famous and leading Single Malts in the world that you may want to try are the two Speyside greats; Glenfiddich and The Glenlivet. Then again the largest single malt drinking nation in the world - France chooses another Speyside great - Aberlour as their number one. Other exceptional Speyside single malt whiskies to try include: Balvenie, Longmorn, Macallan and Strathisla.
The other regions produce some exceptional whiskies. The Highlands have 20 active distilleries and the classic malts are probably Glenmorangie and Old Pulteney. The Lowlands is home to 7 active distilleries and here the classic is the only triple distilled Scotch malt whisky named Auchentoshan. Islay is home to 8 active distilleries and famous for smokey whiskies; the smokiest single malt from Islay is Ardbeg. Campbelltown is home to 2 distilleries and the most recognized single malt whisky is Springbank. The Island region is home to 6 active distilleries. Two great single malts from the Islands are Highland Park and Scapa.
Now for the second point – ‘smoked’ explained: Simply put, the raw material used in making whisky is barley and in the process of making whisky we need to dry the barley. It is at this drying stage that we add ‘peat’ (putrefied organic matter). This addition of ‘peat’ and the amount of ‘peat’ determines how smokey the whisky is in the final product we purchase at our local liquor store. In Ireland we use hot air to dry the barley and therefore Irish whisky is never disguised by a smokey taste. The Speyside region is distinguished for its distinct lack or minimal smoke flavours. The Islay region is the direct opposite, offering some challenging whiskies where the smoke in them is older ashtray followed by seaside notes of moist salty air and musty seaweed. Some are great examples and the best in my opinion is Laphroaig10 year old.
I am satisfied to have explained some basics about whisky, but the key is the actual drinking of whisky. Some typical sentences I had heard before I came to know whisky are: “Sacrilege!” usually followed by a smirk or a look of disgust – the kind that is meant to belittle you. “How can you mix it with water?” or “don’t dare add that soda to your whisky.” The best statement most often used is “they perfected it for many years and you destroy it by adding water!” I became very irritated by these whisky aficionados and even with whisky itself because in my mind snobs and old farts drank whisky. It turns out that these protagonists were simply misguided by years of urban legend and hand-me-down stories.
The art to drinking whisky is how you choose to drink it – just drink it that’s all. You will find the way you most prefer in your own time. I enjoy Jameson the same way I started drinking whiskey. I love Aberlour single malt with a splash of water and one block of ice added after. I spend the entire evening nosing the brilliant aromas with sips in between. I will only drink a whisky neat if it is more than 18 years old and only if a fine example of the expression. These are my choices – find yours.
To the non whisky drinkers, I challenge you to drink the healthiest alcohol beverage around. Whiskey measures zero on the CI table (clucose index table) even a diabetic sufferer may drink whiskey. If you are a brandy drinker you simply haven’t found your whisky yet. If you are an occasional drinker or cocktail drinker – mix it your way. Remember whisky was born as “the water of life”.
For those who have been paying attention and are irritated by my sometimes spelling “whisky” and other times “whiskey” I will explain. Scotch whisky is spelt with the ‘y’ at the end. Irish and American whiskey is with the ‘ey’ at the end. The most significant difference is in the plural where the entire world spells it ‘whiskies’ and only Ireland spell it ‘whiskeys’. There is one simple reason for this – the Irish were the first to make whiskey and this is Irish whiskeys claim of distinction.It is amusing how things change and one way or another seem to stay the same, I have a generous serving of the premium ‘Jameson Gold’ poured into a snifter ‘tulip’ shaped glass perched at the end of my desk waiting for me. Cheers! See you in the next quarter serving!
Monday, 20 October 2008
Sitting next to a man on a plane
How often have you heard that saying, "I was sitting next to a man on the plane . . .". Well I was sitting next to man on a plane last week. I was on my return flight from Johannesburg after four days.
I was ispired by this man's simple take on things and will quote my man on the plane, who said "an entrepreneur just does the things everybody else does, but does it without fail, consistently, and to the best of his ability - I've done this since I was retrenched from a state job and now my construction company turns R800 million per year. It took me years to realise how simple success is to achieve if you just keep punching at it. It's not rocket science at all. It's hard work."
I like!
I was ispired by this man's simple take on things and will quote my man on the plane, who said "an entrepreneur just does the things everybody else does, but does it without fail, consistently, and to the best of his ability - I've done this since I was retrenched from a state job and now my construction company turns R800 million per year. It took me years to realise how simple success is to achieve if you just keep punching at it. It's not rocket science at all. It's hard work."
I like!
Thursday, 21 August 2008
Chivas Brothers & The Magnificent Seven
Chivas Brothers, the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard, is celebrating after winning gold medals from the International Spirits Challenge (ISC2008) for seven of its brands.
Chivas Brothers’ malt whisky portfolio triumphed with The Glenlivet 25 Year Old and The Glenlivet 18 Year Old each receiving a gold medal. For the 18 Year Old expression, the win marks its fifth gold medal since 2003. The announcement adds to an already incredible year for The Glenlivet, with the distillery recently being awarded Five Star status from Visit Scotland for the fifth time in a row.
Aberlour 12 Year Old continued an incredible run of award wins with its fifth gold medal since 2004, while Strathisla 12 Year Old and Scapa 14 Year Old both struck gold.
Ballantine’s, the No 1 selling super premium Scotch whisky in Asia, was awarded a gold medal for Ballantine’s 30 Year Old and Beefeater London Dry Gin 47% added to an already successful year by winning Gold in the Premium Gin category.
Chivas Brothers achieved 26 awards in total - at the International Spirits Challenge. It is a true acknowledgment of our highly skilled Master Blenders and Master Distillers and highlights the rich heritage, experience and talent that have contributed to our success.”
Gold medals won: The Glenlivet 25 Year Old; The Glenlivet 18 Year Old; Aberlour 12 Year Old; Scapa 14 Year Old; Strathisla 12 Year Old; Ballantine’s 30 Year Old; Beefeater London Dry Gin 47%
Note to all:
Chivas Brothers is the Scotch whisky and Premium gin business of Pernod Ricard - the world’s No. 2 Wine and Spirits company. No. 2 in Scotch whisky and leader in premium gin, the Chivas Brothers portfolio includes Chivas Regal, Ballantine’s, Beefeater Gin, The Glenlivet, Royal Salute, Aberlour, Longmorn, Scapa, 100 Pipers, Clan Campbell, Something Special and Passport.
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