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LET ' S TALK ABOUT WHISKY
by David Beaufort-Dysart
" Should auld acquaintance be forgot , and auld lang syne ." This month is a nod to one of our best-known Whisky enthusiasts , and author of this famous poem ; Mr . Robert Burns .
' Rabbie ', as he was affectionately known was a Scottish poet and lyricist , admired not only for his poetry but many other things including a love of Whisky . He also had a high spirit for life and shown in his poetry , a love and appreciation of women . He also bore twelve children ; these were the days long before television and Netflix !
Robert was also against the whole added tax system , even writing about the ‘ evils of excise ’. Surprisingly though , he did in fact work for the tax man , employed as a ' tax collecting excise man '. Collecting taxes mostly on candles and tobacco , however turning a cheeky blind eye to the tax on alcohol . I am sure many of you raised a glass on January 25th aka Burns Night .
My partner , Jane and I celebrated Burns Nights at ' Épicerie Fine ' located on Smithdown Road . This lovely , authentic French cafe served up a traditional Burns night menu ( the owner and Chef is Scottish !) On arrival , I noticed a whisky proudly positioned on the counter ( the Whisky included on the special menu ) it was my friend Glenfarclas ! a sure sign , as it was my chosen dram for this edition !
Before we dive into exploring another Whisky region , let us have a recap on how I taste , again try this method or ' go your own way '!
The Glass : Ideally , I recommend you use a Glencairn glass , I ( and many ) see it as the official Whisky tasting glass .
Pour and Nose : Add 20-25 ml of Whisky to the glass , give it a gentle swirl then waft the glass from side to side under the nose ( smelling lightly is the key ) you need to get past the first hit of alcohol , then look for the character of your dram , try and focus on first impressions ; Fruit ? Floral ? Woody ? Smoke ? Peat ?
This month we are moving over to the eastern side of the Highlands to the sub-region of Speyside ( named after the river Spey ) this region is what Whisky is to Scotland what Bordeaux is to wine .
Speyside is a protected Region , just like Champagne . Home to some big household names ; Macallan , Glenlivet & Glenfiddich ( the latter two happen to be the two bestselling single malts on the planet ) Interestingly , Glenlivet was one of the first Whiskies to export single malt to the U . S . after prohibition . What a welcome sight the bottles must have been ' on the shelves ’ back then in 1933 .
The key word here is ' Innovation ' Many distilleries love to experiment , for e . g . Glenfiddich ’ s Fire and Cane or the IPA experiment . Winter Storm is a Whisky that is finished in Canadian Ice Wine Casks , these Casks are quite rare and getting hold of them is like trying to get tickets for the Masters Golf Tournament . It ’ s not that easy to put Speyside whiskies into one style , just like the varied landscapes of the stunning region , you can even find Peat here ! Fruity , sweet , and nutty is a general theme though . The region also has many benefits ; proximity to the river Spey , Barley Farms , and the port of Grangemouth for transporting this golden treasure .
What are we tasting from Speyside ? I have chosen a cask strength Whisky from Glenfarclas , at 60 % abv it is a powerhouse of lovely intensity ! After you taste , I would suggest adding a little water to bring out fully all the lovely aromatics !
The Glenfarclas distillery is in Ballindalloch . Glenfarclas translated ' valley of the green grass ' it is owned by the Grant Family , one of the few remaining family-owned distilleries . It has a truly fantastic visitor ’ s centre . A must visit for a Whisky enthusiast .
Glenfarclas has around 68,000 casks maturing in traditional Dunnage warehouses , these are low slated storehouses with earth floors , ideal in helping minimize the loss of the Angels share , can be 2.5 %, here it is as low as 0.5 % per year , sorry Angels ! The Whisky is more oxidizing than evaporating . Glenfarclas uses mostly Sherry ' Oloroso ' casks which explains the lovely signature sweet fruit character . Named Distiller of the year by Whisky Magazine for 2006 , 2020 and this year also !
Glenfarclas 105 , Cask Strength – Highland Single Malt Whisky .
Colour Deep peaty gold
Nose Vanilla , oaky , baked apple and pear compote , dark toffee .
Finish Sherried fruit , creamy vanilla , drying and richly spiced .
Whisky is like fine wine and what finer thing there is , than a ' fine whisky .’
Until next time Slainte … wirrallife . com 27