My Whisky Year 2014

Another year has ended and I thought I would summarize my whisky year as it was. This year I probably didn't try as many new whiskies as last year, nor did I really try any really rare and old bottlings. This year my goal was to take a new path in my whisky journey rather than continue trying to sample as many whiskies as possible (this blog was one of such attempts to focus on more than just the whisky). That said, I did try a few memorable ones. Probably the best bottle I opened this year was the SMWS 26.89 (reviews here). After multiple re-visits, I found new complexities but also some flaws; all and all, a very pleasant dram and my original rating stands. This was also the dram that made me (re)discover Clynelish, a distillery I’ve found to rarely disappoint this year, and it is probably the distillery I am currently most excited about.

The bottle I keep returning to for those rare moments I want something extra has been the Convalmore 28 year old, part of Diageo’s special release in 2005: austere, hint of peat, complex and what I associate with “old school.” Maybe I’ll cave one day and fork up the dough necessary to buy the 2013 release of the same 1977 vintage.

And a final standout dram had this year was a Scott's Selection North of Scotland single grain distilled in 1964 (exact details missing). Further proof that old grain can be amazing.

This was also the year I started to appreciate blended scotch in a different way. The craft of blending fascinates me and I have an increased respect and admiration for the master blenders’ work. One of the blends that won me over was Buchanan's 18yo. This is a whisky that conjures up the super stereotypical image of an old man enjoying a whisky sitting in a large leather chair in front of the fire in a gentlemen's club in Victorian London. It's bold, spicy, woody and stuffy, but all in a good way. I also found that I appreciate Johnnie Walker more than I previously thought. Even my least favorite, Platinum Edition, has started to win me over. The blended scotch highlight of the year was getting to try the latest Johnnie Walker Director's blend at a tasting hosted by Ewan Morgan and Nic Morgan.

This year's journey was also more about moving outside the comfort of scotch. I tried great whiskies from around the world. For financial reasons and for my own sanity, I quickly realized that I would have to limit my personal library to scotch for now though. However, I was surprised over and over again by the value for money the classic brands from the old Kentucky distilleries offered, such as Weller, Buffalo Trace, Evan Williams, etc. There are of course also many good craft distillers out there as well. I tried Stranahan and Westland for the first time, and I think they are doing good stuff. I especially liked Westland Peated American Single Malt Whiskey and am looking forward to pick up a bottle as soon as I can find one.

This year I read more books on whisky and spirit than any other year. There were many good ones. I really liked Lew Bryson's “Tasting Whiskey.” In addition to being well-written and packed with information, it really got me interested in different styles of whisky and really woke my curiosity for Canadian whisky. Dave Broom's "Whisky: The Manual" (reviewed here) is another book that also changed how I think about whisky drinking in general.

I only got to host one whisky tasting this year with my regular group of friends that are whisky aficionados; but in addition, I also got the chance to host a tasting for their wives and girlfriends as well. This group of ladies was tasked with bringing a Scotch Single Malt of their choice, and they all brought really good ones. The favorite for the night in the group turned out to be Springbank 10 year old.  

For my personal whisky journey, the highlight of the year was when I got a chance to host a tasting for a larger group. I hosted two tasting sessions completely by my design and choice of whiskies for a group of 30 people of ranging experience, but mostly beginners. It was challenging but a lot of fun (detailed blog post coming up).

Sharing whisky with friends, new or old, is the best way to enjoy whisky. Best whisky I gifted to a friend this year was, in my opinion, an Abraham Bowman Bourbon finished in port cask. I had the opportunity to sample this bourbon at WhiskyFest 2012 when it was presented by, at the time, master distiller Truman Cox; since then, he has sadly passed away. It was an amazing bourbon and I hope the recipient found it to be as well. A recent gift from Santa was Nikka Coffey grain. I tried this earlier in the year and loved it.

In what has almost become a tradition, I enjoyed a dram of Lochside 46 year old Single Blend on Christmas Eve. Unexpectedly, that turned out to be the last dram of 2014 for me. You could do worse.

I think what I learned this year is that whisky is not only about the drink; there is so much more - the history, craft, tradition, community and friends.

Whisky Reading

A bad cold put my whisky reviewing into a grinding halt for the last month or so, but it did at least give me an opportunity to catch up on some reading. I’ve recently read three whisky-related books that I can recommend.

I was very excited to grab a copy of “The Science and Commerce of Whisky” by Ian Buxton and Paul S. Hughes [1]. Coffee table-style books about whisky are plentiful but more technical books or textbooks aimed at people that actually study chemistry and distilling are rare. Although I lack the background to really grasp the chemical aspects of distilling and maturation of whisky, I found that the book still offered a wealth of information for a layman and enthusiast like me. Each chapter is jam-packed with information but still well-written. Compared to the previous reference text on whisky making, “Whisky: Technology, Production and Marketing” edited by Inge Russell [2], I find Buxton and Hugh’s book more approachable and easier to read. After reading this, I was tempted enough to pick up a textbook on organic chemistry, just to get a better understanding of the more technical chapters of the book.

Dave Broom’s new book I pre-ordered without knowing anything about it. I’ve found Mr. Broom very entertaining at other occasions and with a title such as “The Manual” [3], what could go wrong? To my surprise when I got a hold of the book, Mr. Broom has decided to educate us on how to drink whisky mixed with soda, ginger ale, and even coconut water and green tea. Just the thought of diluting your precious single malt with something other than water makes some whisky drinkers see red. Not discouraged, I dove right in and found Broom’s book to be very entertaining. It starts out with the almost obligatory whisky history chapter. Very informative as expected but also with a focus on how whisky has been enjoyed throughout history. What then follows is Mr. Broom’s guide on how to enjoy whisky. A multitude of whisk(e)ys are presented with a description and rating on what the whisk(e)y mixes well with. I must say I’m instantly intrigued and can not wait to try out some of the recommendations. The book ends with a chapter on cocktails.

The last book I finished was “MacLean’s Miscellany of Whisky” by Charles MacLean [4]. It’s a collection of essays on anything between heaven and earth related to whisky. This is a nice book to read while enjoying your favorite dram in front of your fireplace. Informative but most of all entertaining. The essays vary in length but most of them are pretty short, which makes it easy to pick up this book and just read a chapter at random when time allows. It also contains many illustrations from the era.

[1] Ian Buxton and Paul Hughes, The Science and Commerce of Whisky, ISBN: 978-1-84973-150-8, Royal Society of Chemistry (2014)

[2] Inge Russell et al, Whisky: Technology, Production and Marketing (Handbook of alcoholic beverages), ISBN: 978-0-12669-202-0, Academic Press; 1 edition (August 28, 2003)

[3] Dave Broom, Whisky: The Manual, ISBN: 978-1-84533-755-1, Mitchell Beazley (Octopus books) (2014)

[4] Charles MacLean, MacLean’s Miscellany of Whisky, ISBN 978-1-906251-42-0, Little Books Ltd (2010)