SCOTCH REVIEW TM TM EDITION 11 SPRING 1999 THE BRAND & THE BLAND LOCH FYNE Let us hope that the global recession and in association with the subsequent poor trading results are The George Hotel, Inveraray the only reasons driving the whisky in- is proud to present the THE GEORGE HOTEL dustry into mediocrity rather than the new managers who, from the outside, 1999 SEASON OF CELEBRITY appear to have reached their coefficient of inefficiency. With the convulsions that surround the WHISKY TASTING diabolical mergers (Highland/Remy/ JBB included), both huge and small, the EVENINGS brand manager is finding the greasy pole (between appointments at Kleenex® and Andrex®) little challenge. Neurotic

boardrooms are easy prey when pan- Drinking the health of the Duke of Rothesay, 1872 Highland Society, icked by low shareholder confidence. Diageo, the company formerly known as Grand Metropolitan (for which is by far their biggest profit earner), has ground to a complete halt. In UD there was an exciting delivery of new whisky products which improved profits, stayed the competition, pleased the consumer and generated a real sense of excitement for the sector. Now we have inertia, unless you count their dismissed rumours that they are going to develop the UK youth market with a brand launch of J&B. (There is no yoof market for Scotch in the UK; producers should be patient and woo Friday 6th August, 7pm, Price £ 7.00* Friday 28th August, 7pm, Price £ 7.00* Richard Paterson, Esq Dr. Bill Lumsden young drinkers from the sidelines while , Whyte & Mackay Head of Distilleries and Maturation, Glenmorangie plc drinking habits mature. Further, J&B “Your Dram” “Woodn’t it be nice?” Richard’s dazzling delivery of the history of Scotch Whisky while tasting A unique chance to explore the exceptional pioneering work on is a naff brand to use, Johnnie Walker some rare samples of blend and malt is acclaimed world-wide. You will maturation, with reference to some hitherto unknown and secret then play master-blender in a practical session to produce your own ideal examples from the Glenmorangie special wood finishes unit. has much more credibility—but then blended Scotch for which prizes will be awarded. Concludes with a light buffet and some exceptional Ardbegs! Evening concludes with a light buffet and further dramming! • that wasn’t a GrandMet brand). • Friday 24th September, 7pm, Price £ 7.00* The brand orientated managers are Friday 13th August, 7pm, Price £ 7.00* MURRAY McDAVID, Esq Jim McEwan, Esq Underworld Bottler bland managers and their domination Distillery Manager, Morrison Bowmore Distillers “Pissst! If anyone asks—I’m not here!” “A tour of Scotch-land” Assisted by Gordon Wright, the notorious McDavid makes a causes a reduction in variety, an irre- You are a passenger on an intimate and relaxed tour of some of the great unique appearance and lifts the lid on the murky world of the malts from Auchentoshan, Glen Garioch and Bowmore distilleries reflecting independent whisky bottler. Lots of malts to taste. versible demise. This is evidenced by the the supreme quality and diversity of the Lowlands, Highlands and . Evening concludes with a light buffet and (possibly) a bungled assault Evening concludes with a light buffet and some very special tastings! by Inveraray C.I.D. & S.W.A.T. teams (should be fun!). low prices seen at Christmas, an unhelp- • • • ful reaction to poor sales. A lack of prof- Date & price to be advised — November/December Iain ‘the sporran’ Stothard, Esq - Gourmet Evening — back by popular demand! its causes inertia. • *Price given is that in advance, price on night will be £9.00. Price includes your whisky. Value for money guaranteed. Senior dismissals and redundancies Tickets from The George or Loch Fyne Whiskies, Inveraray, Argyll, PA32 8UD. Credit Card bookings 01 499 302219. Standing on tables & chairs prohibited. Sporrans over 1.5kg must be muzzled in accordance with local bye-laws. have ripped the business apart. The inadequates have been promoted with no understanding of a very special in- GLEN SCOTIA TO RESUME DISTILLING dustry. They are propelling it into just , one of Scotland’s principal distillate from the distillery. another brand-led mono-business. distilling regions, is bouncing back. Since upgrading in the 1950s, Glen Many of these gits have reached the In early May a team of ‘mercenary dis- Scotia has been poorly managed with boardroom already and the effect is be- tillers’ from Springbank will be employed low yields, but new(ish) owners Glen ginning to show. Time for action! for three months to test the quality of Catrine Bond have plans to reverse that.

SCOTCH WHISKY REVIEW — LOCH FYNE WHISKIES, INVERARAY, ARGYLL, PA32 8UD PAGE 1 makes us a small company when com- ery in Scotland. When the distillery was THE ALCHEMIST pared with most of the industry. established in 1843, Mr Matheson, be- We have three distilleries: Glen- ing a canny Scot, acquired second-hand morangie, [pronounced as in orange-y] gin stills from London. They had a char- Glen Moray and recently Islay’s Ardbeg acteristic tall shape designed to give a and in 1996 the company moved to this highly rectified spirit (very tall necks former Bell’s site at Broxburn, west of give a much higher degree of reflux so Edinburgh where the head office is as that heavier or oilier elements do not well as warehousing, blending, bottling make it over into the distillate). This and packaging operations. Our princi- gives a lighter, sweeter and fruitier re- pal blended whiskies are Highland sult which is the house style of Queen (low cost brand), James Martin Glenmorangie; other distillers new- (export) and Bailie Nicol Jarvie (deluxe). make tends to be heavier and oilier. We also produce Crabbies Ginger Wine. The other great influence is the type of We are a branded company although we wood we use for maturation. For many also do a little supermarket own-label years we have been very active in choos- business and a number of other blends. ing the type of wood we use, all ex-Bour- We also trade our whiskies with the in- bon and only first or second fill for sin- dustry, although our principal malt, gle malt production, which is almost Glenmorangie, is not sold as so in the unique in the industry. The wood comes brokerage market in order to maintain from an area in the States and is har- the integrity of the brand. We would not vested to our specification, air seasoned like it to be sold by an independent bot- (not kiln dried), made into hogsheads tler at any substandard quality. and then leased out to a Bourbon com- Dr Bill Lumsden is changing the pany for four years. That wood has a way tastes. Somehow unique effect on the whisky and helps he managed to stop and talk to Loch us maintain consistency. Fyne Whiskies. Glenmorangie LFW: Is the type of Bourbon used LFW: What’s your job? relevant? Since June last year my official title is I would say not. I think that as long as ‘Head of Distilleries and Maturation’ at is such it had Bourbon in it to remove some of Glenmorangie plc. I am responsible for the undesirable elements, it doesn’t our three distilleries, for the maturing matter; the Bourbon conditions the wood stock profile of whisky, the quality of a terrific rather than contributes to it. Our ‘de- that maturing stock, the blend styles signer’ hogsheads are leased out to and recipes and the make up of our whis- Heaven Hill distillery and matured in kies, both single and blend. I am also whisky! unheated warehouses and that also has responsible for the purchase of all raw an impact on the wood; the majority of materials; malted barley, wood, yeast LFW: Why do you think is matured in heated and such like. I head the teams for the Glenmorangie does so well? warehouses in order to bring about a wet end of new product development, Firstly, along with a couple of other more rapid development of the product. that is new whiskies or other products brands, it was first marketed in the ’70s, LFW: So you don’t use any sherry- and, along with my boss who is the fi- a time when single malt sales were wood at all? nance director, I am responsible for set- about to take off. The trail was blazed In the case of the 18yo we do use some ting up the new filling programme and by but we were close behind. sherry. The extra six years gives a real inter-industry cross deals for the com- More important now is that it is such a nuttiness and a light spiciness. About pany with a remit to make a certain terrific whisky! Although it is very com- one third of the maturing whisky is amount of profit in the whisky broker- plex and delicate, the bourbon cask transferred into sherry wood for a age market. maturation and the fruitiness gives it a number of years and this adds a slight Basically everything to do with whisky light sweetness that makes it very easy sweetness, a nice delicate raisin and up until it comes to bottling. Prior to that to drink. A lot of the many nuances will caramel note which adds to the overall I was distillery manager at Glen- only be found by the more seasoned complexity of the malt. There is no fixed morangie and I did not think that I whisky drinkers. formula but the amount of sherry matu- would get to this very exciting position Every malt whisky has its own unique ration going into the bottle is only a quite so quickly. It is a bit of a change of character and I feel that there are three small portion. life-style; before I wandered to work in reasons why Glenmorangie is unique. Bourbon gently seasons the wood, it re- Tain and now I battle it out on the Ed- The water source is uniquely hard; it moves the elements we don’t want and inburgh by-pass! rises through layers of limestone and doesn’t mask our unique distillery char- I came into distilling after studying sandstone and is collected in an area acter. If we take our very floral, fragrant, brewing at Edinburgh’s Heriot Watt known as ‘Tarlogie Springs’ which is the delicate, new make spirit and put it into University (my PhD involved lots of size of a small swimming pool. As a sci- a sherry cask that sherry will dominate brewery visits—all very difficult!) I first entist, I can’t tell you why this hardness very quickly, and so the concept of ‘wood joined UD in 1986 and had a variety of is significant. I know that Calcium salts ’ which we developed a couple jobs there as research scientist, trainee help stabilise enzyme complexes during of years ago. distillery manager and assistant the initial stage. From that we LFW: Wood finishing? maltings manager. might expect a higher yield of spirit, but ‘Finishing’ was the vision of our previ- LFW: Tell us about the company of we don’t. You do need a pure, uncon- ous Managing Director Neil McKerrow. Glenmorangie plc. taminated source of water and ours is A series of experiments was set up in Still very much a family company, with also unusually hard but it is difficult to the ’80s. New whisky was put into port 51% of the shares owned by the quantify the effect. pipes and Madeira drums but very MacDonald family, but we are stock A greater influence is that we have the quickly we realised that new make into market listed. A turnover of about £50m tallest stills of any malt whisky distill- these casks was not right. Like with

PAGE 2 SCOTCH WHISKY REVIEW — LOCH FYNE WHISKIES, INVERARAY, ARGYLL, PA32 8UD sherry, the wine notes were dominating ing with wine to revitalise them but it is product for the range which will be the whisky and so the concept of ‘finish- not our practice at the moment; as a launched in the Autumn. The brand ing’ was developed whereby already whisky purist I am uneasy about going manager has forbidden me to reveal any- mature whisky is transferred into the down that route. In the case of the Glen thing about it, but I can tell you that it wine casks for a limited period of time. Moray and the white wines we are in- was not old enough last year! I have ex- The wine-seasoned casks expand the vestigating to see if we can get a second tensively tasted stocks and found them range of flavours and aroma, adding con- fill because of the speed with which we far more interesting than the neighbour- siderably to the whisky and offering can attain our finish. ing distilleries, even in direct compari- something quite different, particularly LFW: How ‘empty’ are these casks son. It is not going to be like the old ten for after-dinner drams. It helps to woo before you start? year old bottled by the previous owners, new drinkers to the category and to the My requirement is that the cask must but it will be much more true to the old brand without losing the essential quali- not have been sitting around and be all Ardbeg style than our 17yo is. ties which are uniquely Glenmorangie. dried out. Ideally the wine is emptied out We will continue to bottle the 17yo for We have three core wood finishes: port completely, the cask resealed and as long as possible. Stocks are limited is the most successful—dangerously shipped to Scotland within a couple of but there is enough to support the cur- drinkable, Madeira—my favourite and weeks. Most arrive dry but they do have rent demand. sherry. We also produce what I call a lining of crystals of tartrate and such I would warn Ardbeg fans that, like ‘guest finishes’, like guest ales in a pub, like. The fortified wine casks are dry to Glenmorangie, Ardbeg is to be kept in- and last year we brought out a claret- moist but none of our casks has any lees house and you will see fewer independ- wood finish (actually a top Chateau pre- swilling about in it. If that was the case ent bottlings. We do trade Ardbeg with mier cru from the Paullac Region). Be- you could ask if the flavour was coming the industry but only to satisfy contracts fore that we used Tain l’Hermitage casks from that but there must be some wood which were previously in existence. from Cotês du Rhone (‘Tain’ being both maturation for success. Any wine in the Ardbeg is popular with blenders if used the village in Hermitage and our home cask would be strictly against the law judiciously. in Ross-shire) and at present we have a and the rules of the Scotch Whisky As- LFW: What type of casks are you fill- fino sherry finish. I have been very ac- sociation as it would potentially be con- ing—is there any truth in our tive buying various types of wood out sidered as an additive. Ardbeg herring-barrel finish story? on the market and we have one or two Not yet! It’s almost all Bourbon being nice bits and pieces being developed so filled, very little sherry wood, as I’m not you will see more things coming through keen on sherry-matured peaty whiskies. soon. I have stocks of casks from lesser woosh! In future we may do something with a known fortified wines and various red different cask but probably not sherry; wines, many very rare and outrageously the Ardbeg style does not involve sherry. expensive. LFW: Tell us about your second dis- As for herring-barrel finish I think there We are currently developing an area tillery, Glen Moray. is enough of the smoked fish character here at Broxburn to be called the fin- We call Glen Moray a classic Speyside there already! Whatever we do do it ishing area where the vast majority of but in many respects it is not a real must be something robust to overcome our port, Madeira and sherry casks will Speyside in style. I would argue that the phenols, rum perhaps. It will be in- be kept and we will also have examples Glenmorangie has more of a Speyside teresting. of all our different and experimental character and I find that Glen Moray has My first taste of Ardbeg was the 17yo types of cask. more of an earthy, dryness to it. A lot of and I just could not believe how good it You can expect to see a guest finish on Glen Moray goes into blending and we was. A great evening on the island with the market about once a year; any more trade it for other whiskies to go into our the writer Jim Murray and Ed Dodson, would be over-saturation. own blends. our manager from Glen Moray, in which LFW: How long does a finish take? We have just re-launched Glen Moray we did the entire island! Even before we For our Glenmorangie finishes all are and have created a point of difference bought the distillery Jim used to visit currently transferred at twelve years for by finishing or ‘mellowing’ it in white me at Tain and extol the virtues of finishing but the duration of finishing wine barrels which is something I think Ardbeg but I just paid him lip-service. depends on the development of the works very well and has toned down the Finally when I tried it I thought ‘woosh!’! whisky in each particular cask because slightly peppery-bitter dry edge to the LFW: It seems you have plenty of the wines and casks vary so much. This whisky. There is no sherry cask usage new products to deliver. is where the skill and dedication of my in Glen Moray, just bourbon, refill This company is committed to encour- sampling and tasting team comes in— whisky and now Chardonnay in the aging more people to drink Scotch it’s very arduous work! unaged variant and Chenin Blanc for the whisky. We are a branded company and Port wood varies a lot. Sometimes we 12 and 16yo. very innovative, so watch this space as find a very active cask can develop in as LFW: And so to Ardbeg. we are always doing something differ- little as six months but the average is We bought Ardbeg in 1997 and gener- ent while trying to maintain the balance 12 to 18 months. ated a huge amount of positive public- between tradition and innovation. I We have just launched Glen Moray fin- ity; people are very happy that the dis- think we get it right. ished (or ‘mellowed’) in white wine casks tillery is back in production and now it LFW: Your desert island dram? and we have been very surprised by the is being bottled and marketed it has I would like to list a few of my favour- rapidity with which the product reached given a boost to the whole category of ites first: Glenmorangie, particularly the the desired specification. In this case we . We have inherited a chal- 10yo. I have tried some utterly outstand- were starting to get to where we wanted lenge in that the distillery did not pro- ing Glenmorangies straight from the to within six months. duce anything between 1981 and 1989 cask, and my favourite, a 1981, was bot- LFW: How many fills do you get so my job of managing the stocks is a bit tled on site last year. I am very fond of from a cask? of a nightmare! Mortlach, Glenfarclas or Highland For the port, sherry and Madeira we get Initially we brought out a 17yo and vin- Park—it’s got a little of everything. one fill and that’s it, we can’t use them tages from 1978 and then 1975, but it For my real desert island dram I’m again and I then sell the old casks. They does not take a genius to work out that afraid I am now a total Ardbeg convert. are very expensive casks and there are these bottlings are not sustainable so we The 1978 in particular, but any will do! potential savings to be made by refill- are now looking at developing a new core LFW: I’m not surprised. Thank you.

SCOTCH WHISKY REVIEW — LOCH FYNE WHISKIES, INVERARAY, ARGYLL, PA32 8UD PAGE 3 THE INDUSTRY TODAY the Far East and South America. The companies have sought to maintain vol- by Alan S Gray result was that export volumes declined umes and market share. Scotch Whisky remains one of the UK’s by 8.1% last year to 254.2m litres of pure Weak pricing could well be described as major export earners and contributes alcohol (lpa), a figure which was almost the industry’s Achilles Heel in recent around 20% of the UK’s total exports of exactly in line with the 1994 total. times and has adversely affected profit food, beverages and tobacco. Scotch ex- Industry figures released by the Scotch margins. ports were in excess of £2bn last year. Whisky Association show that ship- Failure to achieve adequate price rises In addition, Excise Duty and VAT con- ments to the Far East (excluding Japan) has also been a feature of the UK mar- tribute some £700m to the UK Excheq- declined by 58.2% from 30.7m lpa to ket and there was again heavy discount- uer. It is therefore an extremely impor- 12.8m with the weakest markets being ing over the 1998 Christmas and New tant contributor to the UK economy and Korea and Thailand, both of which fell Year season. this makes it all the stranger that the by two-thirds. The industry badly needs to adopt a government does not do more to help it As for Central and South America, total somewhat more aggressive approach to in the domestic market by reducing duty shipments declined by 6.5% from 39.6m pricing in order to maintain Scotch’s which is amongst the highest in Europe. lpa to 37.1m after having been 13.3% image as a prestigious product rather Around 12,500 people are directly em- ahead for the first six months of 1998. than simply a commodity. ployed in the whisky industry but it is The USA was also a weak market with a NEED TO APPEAL TO YOUNGER CONSUMERS estimated that the industry effectively decline of 9.4% in the main category Bot- In an effort to appeal to younger con- employs a further 40,000 to 50,000 in a tled in Scotland (BIS) Blend but this was sumers in both the UK and USA, a cat- wide range of businesses ranging from largely a reaction to the much better than egory which has been largely ignored farming (producing malting barley) and expected shipments in 1997 when BIS over many years, companies have re- transportation to packaging and tourism. Blend exports improved by 13.8%. sorted to using television advertising. Currently there are around 86 opera- In our view, a more realistic pattern This was first carried out in the UK by tional malt distilleries and 8 grain. emerges from comparing 1998 with 1996 Bell’s in Autumn 1995 and marked an Twenty years ago 114 malt distilleries and on this basis BIS Blend volumes end to the unwritten agreement within were working and 11 grain. showed a gain of over 3%. the spirits industry not to advertise spir- The closure of so many distilleries is ob- EUROPE PERFORMS WELL its on television. viously a cause for considerable regret In contrast to these declines, the Euro- Many other brands have since followed as it reduces the number of malts avail- pean Union, which accounts for over 40% suit and this trend will undoubtedly able both to the public and for blending of total Scotch Whisky exports, per- gather momentum although it will take purposes. formed well last year, advancing by 3.4% several years before the impact of TV As a result of closures there are now only from 110.3m lpa to 114.1m. Spain proved advertising will be fully felt. two Lowland distilleries in production to be especially buoyant. TV advertising has also been comple- and one in Campbeltown, Springbank, The table below details the movement mented by several innovative advertis- although it is hoped that Glen Scotia in export volumes and values over the ing campaigns aimed at making Scotch may reopen. On Islay the good news is past five years. This shows that al- more appealing to the younger consumer that although Port Ellen distillery will though 1998 volumes were bang in line and we believe that major initiatives on not re-open, six are operational whilst with those achieved in 1994, values were this front will be made by Diageo in the Bruichladdich which has been actually lower at £2.03bn compared with not too distant future. A lead by the in- mothballed for several years actually £2.19bn. dustry leader would be most welcome produced a little last year. and would encourage rival companies to Year Exports Exports The largest number of distillery closures follow suit. £m m lpa has, however, been in the Highlands EXPORTS WILL RESUME GROWTH 1994 2191 254 with 20 distilleries no longer in produc- Prospects for the current year appear 1995 2277 262 tion. Many of those will not reopen but brighter than in 1998 with exports likely 1996 2278 257 several hopefully will and indeed a re- to improve slightly, benefiting from an 1997 2394 277 cent example of this was the re-opening Source: Customs & Excise upturn in the Asian economies whilst 1998 2030 254 of Benromach by new owners Gordon Europe should continue to record modest and MacPhail. The decline in export values in 1998 can growth. Latin America, however, looks be mainly attributed to the fact that like remaining soft for most of the year. Classification 1980 1998 % Change sales to Asia are predominantly in the Looking to the medium term, export Highland 96 76 -21 form of high value premium products shipments can be expected to continue Lowland 7 2 -71 such as Chivas Regal and Johnnie to recover from the particularly difficult Islay+Jura 9 7 -22 Walker Black Label and clearly the time in 1998 and in the longer term Asia Campbeltown 2 1 -50 sharp fall in volumes to these markets and South America look promising whilst 114 86 -25 translates into a disproportionately India and China will hopefully become There have been several bottling hall greater decline in values. However, part important markets in due course. closures over the past 10 to 15 years of the blame is also due to the indus- Single malts have grown by 4.4% per which is the main reason why the try’s failure to raise selling prices by annum over the past decade but they still number of jobs in the industry has fallen anything approaching realistic levels account for under 5% of total world con- from 20,000 to the present level. How- with average increases of only 1% to 2% sumption. Prospects for this category ever, whilst these losses dwarf those at being achieved in 1998 and with actual must be regarded as particularly encour- the distilleries in numbers the latter price reductions being recorded in Asia. aging as more and more people discover have been hard hit on the job front and Weak prices are not a new factor, how- their undoubted attractions and sales of course job losses in such rural com- ever, as they have been a feature of re- look set for further substantial expansion. munities have a huge impact on the lo- cent years and emanate from two main Alan S Gray of stockbrokers Sutherlands Lim- cal economies. sources: resistance in the marketplace ited is the author of the Annual Scotch Whisky EXPORTS to price increases in the face of a more Industry Review, now in its 22nd edition. The After a very buoyant 1997, exports of benign inflation environment, this af- current edition is priced £395. Available from; Scotch Whisky had a difficult time in fects most consumer products and not Sutherlands Limited, Lismore House, 1998, a result of economic problems in just Scotch; second, unduly aggressive 127 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 4JX. various parts of the world, in particular competition within the industry itself as Telephone 0131 527 3000, Fax 0131 527 3001.

PAGE 4 SCOTCH WHISKY REVIEW — LOCH FYNE WHISKIES, INVERARAY, ARGYLL, PA32 8UD THE DISTILLERY THE MALT DRINKERS BLEND™ Our label depicts the Glendarroch Dis- We’re very proud of our unique blend tillery sited on the Crinan Canal that created for us by Professor Ronnie Mar- links Loch Fyne with the Sound of Jura. tin, O.B.E., former Production Director Also known as Glenfyne, the distillery of industry leader United Distillers. was built in 1831. A succession of own- Slightly sweet and slightly smoky, The ers held the distillery until 1919 when Loch Fyne appeals to malt whisky fans it came under the ownership of the as an easy-drinking, well flavoured Glenfyne Distillery Co. blended whisky; something to drink and The cameo by Gail Gordon depicts the enjoy rather than concentrate on. We distillery at the time of Alfred Barnard’s have given The Loch Fyne to the three visit in 1885. Barnard’s detailed descrip- top professional tasting writers and tion of the buildings enabled us to rec- while all enjoy it, their tasting notes are reate the floor plan and Gail was able to completely different—proof that it is complete her task from this combined something for everyone! with etchings in his book. Michael Jackson’s note is characteristi- Barnard was clearly taken by the set- cally analytical; ting, the distillery and hospitality af- Colour: rich, sunny, gold. forded him. His book devotes six pages Aroma: fruity (honeydew melon?) to his visit, much taken up with details Body: medium, slightly syrupy. of the buildings e.g. “a new kiln, one of Flavours: light heather-honey, the finest we have seen in Scotland, it is grassy, fragrant, smokiness develops, 51 feet square” but also with the loca- especially in the finish. IWSC BRONZE 1996 tion: “It is built at the foot of the Rob- With typical eloquence, Charlie Soon after its launch The Loch Fyne won ber’s Glen which runs upwards from the MacLean’s tasting note wins by a nose: the bronze award in the blended whisky banks of the canal into the heart of the “The deep amber colour of this whisky, class at the influential International hills in the background; this glen was (darker than many blends) implies age and Wine & Spirit Competition. The Gold once the haunt of smugglers, and no this is supported by the (undilute) nose, Medal went to the world’s top selling more romantic spot could have been cho- which is rich and vinous, with no trace of Scotch, Johnnie Walker Red Label. sen for the distillery.” grain. All the indications of mature fillings. More praise comes from Carol Shaw’s Glendarroch was complete and well laid There is an interesting aroma of apple Collins Gem ‘Whisky’ which describes out. Barley was unloaded from the ca- dumpling (suet crust), and this remains The Loch Fyne as ‘A malt drinker’s nal direct to the malt barns then moved when water is added, enlivened by lighter blend, full flavoured, with a raisiny, through the process clockwise around a citric notes (oranges and tangerines), and sweet spiced nose, mellow smoothness of courtyard to the kiln, tun room, still by some oil-related aromas (walnuts, lin- taste and a warming finish. A very easy house and warehouses. Whisky was seed oil). Phenolic notes are slight, and to drink whisky.’ then shipped to market via the canal. express themselves more as ‘roast meat’ All this praise is supported by the rate Eight houses were available for the than peat smoke. Medicinal phenols are of sale in the shop after a wee taster! workers and two for the excisemen. present in a very slight trace of oilskins. There was also Glengilp House and Overall the nose is subtle and relatively Glendarroch House for the manager and closed. Not much water is needed for the owner respectively. At the end of his this whisky. day’s visit Barnard’s party “donned our The mouth-feel is smooth and well bal- ‘war paint’ and proceeded to anced, engaging the whole palate with Glendarroch House to enjoy the hospi- acidic, salty, sweet and dry flavours, and tality of the owner”. coming down ultimately on the side of The distillery closed in 1937, unusually sweetness. The overall impression is as there was a distilling boom at that fresh and smooth—mellow without be- time, although the warehouses contin- ing flat. The finish is quick and clean, and ued to be used for storing whisky until surprisingly warming. It is extremely easy the mid seventies. A brief life as a join- to drink. ery followed until the eighties when a Conclusion: A true premium blend which salmon hatchery made use of the build- has clearly used well matured fillings. ings and water which was also the drink- There is no harshness in it, no cereal notes ing water supply for Lochgilphead. or feints, no artificial caramel notes. A LOCH FYNE 70cl £ 14.60 In 1990 the Regional Council acquired whisky which is appropriate for any time GIFT PACK + DRAM GLASS £ 17.60 the water rights and every last trace of of the day. LOCH FYNE 20cl £ 5.90 the distillery has since been removed. Perilously smooth, mellow and easy to LOCH FYNE 10cl £ 3.90 Additional Information drink.” LOCH FYNE miniature 5cl £ 2.60 Brian Townsend, SCOTCH MISSED.

SCOTCH WHISKY REVIEW — LOCH FYNE WHISKIES, INVERARAY, ARGYLL, PA32 8UD PAGE 5 “The wonderful thing about and in Scotland, otherwise it cannot Scotland in oak barrels for three years whisky, apart of course, from be called Scotch. or more before being used for blending. drinking it, is that it contains How is whisky made? Occasionally you may come across a bot- more bluffing elements than al- Easy—mix some processed grain with tle of single (which will most any other subject—far water, add yeast and let it ferment in taste light and slightly oily) but its use more than supply-side econom- the same way that beer is produced. Boil is mainly as a carrier for malts in blends. ics, more even than wine. Wine breeds up your beer and collect the steam which The fourth category of whisky is a envy, discord and snobbery, whisky pro- will be mostly alcohol. Voilà, whisky! vatted malt which is a blend of several motes fellowship, amiability and quiet, Throw this away as it is probably poi- malts but no grain. Malt bottles lacking unassuming superiority. Supply-side son, your hair will fall out—and apart the word ‘single’ may well be vatted; economics produced Donald Trump.” from that it’s illegal. other clues are descriptions such as David Milstead Scotch whisky must contain barley and ‘Pure Malt’ or ‘100% malt’. Bluffer’s Guide to Whisky Malt Whisky must be made exclusively A single malt is a happy accident of sci- from water, malted barley, yeast and ence, nature and circumstance. Blended nothing else. and vatted whiskies are one man’s opin- NEW CUSTOMER PAGE What is the difference between a ion of what he thinks you think a good Our marketing blitz in Whisky Maga- single malt and a double malt? whisky should taste like. Many members zine and the busy summer season in the A single malt is the product of one malt of the industry claim to appreciate shop gives Loch Fyne Whiskies the whisky distillery and that one distillery blended Scotch the most. chance to welcome new customers to our only. There is no such thing as a double Why don’t you stock a certain brand growing band of happy whisky fans. The malt unless you are with your rich fa- I had once? following pages are for those who are de- ther-in-law at the bar (technically—‘a Whisky brands tend to fade away faster veloping an interest in the marvels of large one’). Single malts are enjoying than get created as the industry changes Scotch Whisky. We feature some expla- considerable acclaim at the moment, from hundreds of brand owners to just nation of the bottlings from our Stock they are no longer Scotland’s biggest a few. As big companies expand by the List—OB, A, C, G&M, MM, S etc., but secret. Their intensity and complexity acquisition of small they find that they we’ll start with by far the most often of flavours, previously thought to be a have two brands on the same shop shelf asked question: handicap to wider sales, are now being at the same price so one has to go. Some I can’t remember the name but it sought throughout the world. brands are only available overseas be- came in a dumpy green bottle, can Malt whisky is one of four types of cause they are better established there you help? Scotch. The most common is blended than in the UK. Bunnahabhain! (Boo-na-ha-venn). whisky, a mix of many different single How many Scotch Whiskies are What is whisky? malts and grain whiskies prepared by a there? Literally the alcohol spirit produced by blender using his sense of smell and The Scotch Whisky Association draws distilling fermented cereals. Whisky is years of experience. 95% of all bottled attention to the Claive Vidiz collection produced in many countries, historically whisky sold is blended whisky and it is in Brazil of over 4,000 bottles of Scotch. those with climates more suited to grow- appreciated the world over for its satis- Not all of these will be available today ing cereals rather than grape-into-wine fying subtlety and complexity. and Campbell Evans of the SWA reck- production. Grain whisky is industrially produced ons that there are about 200 in the UK Scotch Whisky is the world’s most popu- from a variety of cereals including and 2,000 around the world. lar spirit and by law must be (amongst malted barley. The spirit is not fully dis- Loch Fyne Whiskies has the most com- other things) made and matured in an tilled—a degree of impurity is required prehensive range of UK available malts oak barrel for not less than three years to add character. It is also matured in with examples from about 120 distiller- ies. There are currently about 85 open and working; others are either mothballed, closed or demolished. There have been about 750 distilleries licensed since Ferintosh in 1689. How am I supposed to drink my malt whisky? How you like! Although it does seem a shame to mix a £25 malt with a sweet, fizzy mixer. Addition of water (anything from a drop to 50:50, depends on the bottling) often reveals more character because your nose is happier at lower alcoholic strengths, so experiment with each new bottling. Bear in mind you have four senses of taste and these are on your tongue, not in the back of your throat. Plus you have some 30 or more senses of smell so use the schnoz. Ice in malts is a no-no; you put ice on bruises and in blended Scotch in hot climates. How do I know which malts I will like? Most single malts will have the region OFFICIAL, OWNERS OR ORIGINAL BOTTLINGS (OB) of origin on the label, either Lowland, Highland, Speyside or Islay and these When bottled by the owner of the distillery, we call such bottlings official, owners or give a clue to the character of the con- original bottlings. These ‘official’ presentations are examples of the best in quality, tents—but there are many exceptions to packaging and design and a guarentee of consistentcy and quality. Here is a range the rule. The Lowlands are the most of ages, finishes and comemoratives from Glenmorangie. gentle; mild, almost wine-like. The

PAGE 6 SCOTCH WHISKY REVIEW — LOCH FYNE WHISKIES, INVERARAY, ARGYLL, PA32 8UD A MM C G&M Cask CC S (43%) S (Cask)

THE INDEPENDENT BOTTLERS (Where’s Cadenhead’s/Connois- MURRAY McDAVID (MM) ing range of single, vatted and blended seurs Choice/Gordon & MacPhail’s The most recently incorporated on our whiskies from their Elgin home. G&M Distillery?) list, Murray McDavid is gaining great are unique amongst independent bot- Loch Fyne Whiskies favours five inde- respect for a small range of excellent and tlers in that they mature all their whis- pendent bottlers who buy the malt unusual whiskies bottled at 46%. In our kies from new and have done so for over whisky from a distillery by the cask and view this is the perfect bottling strength, 100 years. G&M still hold stocks of long bottle outwith the supervision of the just strong enough to tingle the tongue! gone distilleries—history to take advan- distillery owner. With all independent CADENHEAD (C) tage of! In 1998 G&M became distillers bottlings look for the distillery name Campbeltown in Argyll is home to inde- with the revival of Benromach Distill- which will be in smaller print. pendent bottler Cadenhead’s, who buy ery. Shown above are examples of their ADELPHI (A) and also mature casks of whisky and bot- G&M, Cask and Connoisseurs Choice A relative newcomer to the sector, The tle each cask individually at natural ranges. Adelphi Distillery Company has no dis- , occasionally as high as SIGNATORY (S) tillery but is very fussy about the qual- 67% alcohol. At 150 years, Cadenhead’s For ten years Signatory of Edinburgh ity of the malt they bottle at cask are the oldest bottlers in Scotland. have bottled malts at both 43% and at strength, and so their releases are only GORDON & MACPHAIL (CC, Cask, G&M) cask strength. They have produced occasional. Their minimalist labelling The leading and most respected inde- some outstanding and very rare whis- allows the whisky to sell itself. pendent bottler, G&M bottle a bewilder- kies and are consistently good value.

Highlands can be further divided; those strength whiskies are at natural, barrel Unopened, a bottle should stay as good from the south are akin to the lowlands, strength which provides more impact as when bottled assuming the seal is in those from the north are fuller flavoured. and immediate flavour. These whiskies good condition. Keep the bottle away Speyside is a category of its own within should be diluted in the glass after ex- from direct sunlight, heat or variations the Highlands. These whiskies are com- ploratory sips otherwise anaesthesia in condition. Once opened, oxidation will plex and half of Scotland’s distilleries are will numb the pleasure. Because of the act on the whisky with a noticeable ef- found here. The most fully flavoured variety of casks employed in the indus- fect in between one and three years. The whisky is produced on the island of Is- try, each single-cask bottling will have balance of characters will change, not lay (pronounced eye-la). Islay whiskies the character of the barrel variety as always for the worse, but eventually a are unguided missiles in the wrong well as that of the distillery so there is whisky will become ‘flat’—another good hands—you will either love them or won- great variation. reason for enjoying your dram without der what the attraction is in smelling Why are some whiskies so expensive? delay. Saving the last inch of a very spe- hospitals. The first thing to check is the age of the cial malt is usually disappointing when How come they taste so different? whisky. If it is say 21 years old (the time finally poured, so enjoy it now! Malted (germinated) barley has to be spent in the cask—once bottled it does Books are useful sources of informa- dried before milling and fermentation not ‘age’), it will be dearer because of the tion and we recommend in particular: and traditionally this has been done over additional storage required. Also whisky Value for money—Collins Gem Whisky £4.99. an open fire. In Scotland a variety of evaporates in the barrel by about 2% Most informed—Charles MacLean’s fuels is found locally including peat (de- each year so after 21 years only two Malt Whisky £25.00 or Scotch Whisky composing heather) and coal. The thirds remain. The other thing to look Pocket Guide £8.99. amount of peat that is used to dry the out for is the degree of alcohol strength Taster’s bible—Michael Jackson’s Malt barley has a big influence (on Islay it is as duty is applied according to percent- Whisky Companion £12.99. the only source of fuel). Other influences age alcohol. Most whiskies are bottled To keep you up to date read Whisky are the style of apparatus employed in at 40% alcohol by volume (abv), some at Magazine. ’Phone 0171 563 2975 and ask the production, particularly the still and 43% or 46%—15% stronger and so for a ‘Loch Fyne deal’ —nine issues for how that still is operated by the stillman. dearer than the 40%. We stock many the price of six. The final major influence is the type of whiskies with strengths of up to 65% so oak cask or barrel employed to mature these are the equivalent of over a bottle “The proper drinking of Scotch Whisky the spirit; it could be one of many cat- and a half! is more than indulgence: it is a toast to egories from a brand new barrel to a Does a whisky improve with age af- civilisation, a tribute to the continuity of well-used second-hand sherry or bour- ter bottling? culture, a manifesto of man’s determina- bon cask. No. Unlike wine, spirits are fixed once tion to use the resources of nature What are ‘Cask Strength’ Whiskies? in the bottle and there is no benefit in to refresh mind and body and to Whisky matures in the barrel at about keeping it. You should open and enjoy it enjoy to the full the senses with 65%. Prior to bottling it is diluted to 40% as soon as possible! which he has been endowed.” so as to incur the least alcohol duty How long can I keep the whisky in David Daiches (originally a wartime measure). Cask the bottle? Scotch Whisky, Its Past and Present

SCOTCH WHISKY REVIEW — LOCH FYNE WHISKIES, INVERARAY, ARGYLL, PA32 8UD PAGE 7 LOCH FYNE WHISKIES — PRODUCTS AND SERVICES OUR HOUSE MALTS ONLY FROM LOCH FYNE WHISKIES from INVERARITY VAULTS the Living cask™

Who or what is LFW? Loch Fyne Whiskies is a small privately owned shop in Inveraray, a popular visi- tor stop in the West Highlands of Scot- land. The business is owned and man- Inverarity 10yo & Inverarity Ancestral 14yo aged by Richard & Lyndsay Joynson and Top Quality and Great Value is not part of a chain, has no sharehold- Our two house malts are both bottled ers to satisfy and does not have any under the responsibility of Inverarity branches (I hear mutterings of ‘one cen- Vaults, based in Edinburgh. Professor tre of excellence’). We employ Andy of Distilling at Heriot Watt University, Burns and Laura Simpson throughout Ronnie Martin O.B.E., has retired from A unique recreation of the storage and serving of malt whisky the year and Darren Pirie joins us for a lifetime as a production man in the the hectic summer season. Our greeter Scotch Whisky Industry to establish a Not a single malt, but a living vatting of Donald, pictured above, is ‘voluntary’ new company with his son Hamish. suitable malts, The Living Cask takes rather than employed; his job is distrib- They have been bottling Inverarity its inspiration from Notes on a Cellar uting drams of the Loch Fyne. whiskies for five years and we are de- Book by renowned connoisseur Profes- Our shop stocks all the whiskies in our lighted that they have a name so suited sor George Saintsbury, published 1920, Stock List, at the published price, as well to our home address. in which he writes: as a range of other whisky related Both whiskies are Speyside single malts “...The more excellent way—formerly prac- items—glassware, hip flasks, whisky fla- produced at . This is tised by all persons of some sense and voured confectionery and preserves and the pick of the portfolio that Ronnie some means north of the Tweed—is to the most comprehensive book shelf pos- Martin managed. establish a cask,...fill it up with good and sible. There is also a gallery of collec- The 10yo is a bourbon cask matured me- drinkable whisky,...stand it up on end, tap tors’ and rare bottles on display includ- dium-light malt with a good light heath- it half way down or even a little higher, and, ing a selection of whiskies from around ery-honey sweetness to it. It is very much when you get to or near the tap, fill it up the world with such unlikely places as appreciated by our experienced custom- again with whisky fit to drink, but not too Malta, Poland and Austria represented! ers and is also a perfect dram to demon- old. You thus establish what is called in Visitors to our shop enjoy our service and strate to novices the benefit of a top qual- the case of sherry a ‘solera’, in which the most get to do some sampling from our ity malt. A good dinner trick is to serve constantly changing character of the old extensive tasting stock before they buy. the Inverarity with a fruit dessert such constituents doctors the new accessions, We pride ourselves on our attention to as a trifle or fruit salad instead of wine. and in which these in turn freshen and our customer requirements, principally The 14 year old ‘Ancestral’ is now a LFW strengthen the old.” sound knowledge of our products, a fair exclusive—it is so good we have secured And that is what we do. When half price for our goods and a top class and the entire stock! This is without argu- drawn down a new malt is introduced speedy mail order service. ment one of the very best whiskies we and the character changes. Each top up We are proud of our business, the respect sell. Sadly there is no more available is described as a Volume and this is we have earned, this newsletter and our with this unique entire sherry cask marked on the ‘spine’ of our book-style blend ‘The Loch Fyne’. Our customers maturation and we expect our stock to label which has Saintsbury’s instruc- are worldwide, are very loyal and very last only until the end of the year. tions on the back. Each ‘Volume’ is bot- much appreciated. We have never seen sherry matured tled as a 20cl sample, dated at the time Aultmore and that is why this is so of drawing from the cask with the pre- unique and so special. Not over sherried vailing strength noted. As this is the or sweet, there is great complexity and natural strength it is in the region of a very long and changing finish—over- 60% alc. all a spicy sort of cherryade! Living cask enthusiast Jack Magnus Prices: 10yo: £19.90 14yo: £27.90 writes, “The folks at Loch Fyne Whis- kies have cleverly produced a continu- ally marketable and in- triguing vatted whisky. I can’t wait for the next vol- ume! Thanks to Professor George Saintsbury for his inspiration and LFW for The Living Cask!”

LIVING CASK™— 20cl OUR LOCH FYNE MARMALADE @ cask strength £14.90 The Loch Fyne makes a great whisky A subscription service for marmalade and two are produced for us, the automatic despatch of a standard (£2.50) and our deluxe thick- each successive volume is cut, dark, spicy Double Scotch (£2.90) also available.

PAGE 8 SCOTCH WHISKY REVIEW — LOCH FYNE WHISKIES, INVERARAY, ARGYLL, PA32 8UD COLLECTING WHISKIES ‘COLLECTABLES’ SEEM TO BE GETTING EXPENSIVE Some points to consider Either it is the onset of the millennium Highland Park is a rising star in the col- The satisfaction of collecting whiskies celebrations or apparent success of such lectable market; a near full collection can holds considerably more pleasure than releases as last year’s Macallan ‘1946’ be found in our Stock List excepting the all of today’s ‘manufactured’ collectables (a 50yo Mac’ for £1,575) or Glengoyne’s ‘1967’ which you may still come across (e.g. plates, thimbles or die-cast models) first presentation, ‘The Mid- in your local Arndale Centre. as here we have a legitimate and schol- dle Cut’ (100 bottles @ £490) but there This 1958 presentation is limited to 665 arly subject with no less than five hun- is a whole raft of similarly priced, sump- bottles (world-wide) and includes a very dred years of provenance. tuously presented, limited editions due elegant Caithness Glass decanter with But wait! out in the next few months. Orkney’s standing stones hand engraved If you buy whisky as an investment op- To dispense with the known millennium into it and a hardback book of the Is- portunity—walk away now, buy lottery bottlings first: Glenmorangie’s Millen- lands. We think a price of £890 and the tickets. Every collector has gems worth nium Malt is a drinkable, sensibly priced brand’s supreme quality place this bot- several times the cost but the whole col- (£25.90) 12yo presentation. As usual tling in high demand. lection may not have improved at all. You ’Mo leads the field with no more than a should assemble your collection for your simple labelling and bottling operation, pleasure not your future. cheap and clean and satisfies any such So what do you want to collect? A ques- demand for the Hogmanay. tion worth considering early on other- Interestingly enough many distillers wise you will create a diverse, confused claim that they have considered a mil- and near worthless collection that has lennium bottling but have decided near bankrupted you in its creation. against it. It will be interesting to see The sooner you can focus, the more how many are panicked into the usual pleasurable your collection will be. Spe- bout of me-tooism. cialise, create a set of rules for your col- Glenfiddich have 2,000 cases of Millen- lection and try to stick to it. Generally nium Reserve 21yo (£79) ready to roll the thoughts are: malt or blend? (usu- out mid-summer. Also from the ’fidds in ally malt); single malts or any? (usually June is a 1967 Vintage (£200), the UK single); only official bottlings or any? gets 150 bottles, no figures confirmed for (usually OB first choice, then independ- the world. ent if necessary); what maximum price? Now how about this?... (are you prepared to be victim to a lav- We have a novel offer on the 1958 HP, ishly presented rarity, fifty times more see May’s Whisky Magazine for details. expensive than the norm?) HP’s stablemate Macallan have followed One simple specialisation may be fancy their 1946 bottling rather too swiftly with shaped bottles. Other collections are of a 1948; similarly labelled and certificated ranges such as the Rare Malts series. it comes in a wooden cylinder. A number The most popular choice is to seek a rep- of 366 is small (one for each day of that resentative of every possible distillery, (leap) year), a price of £1,750 is high. first choice being the official bottling but A 1959 (a good year, the frisbee was in- it will be necessary to default to inde- vented!) Glen Moray is well presented, pendent bottlings in some cases. Some limited to a total 400 and with a price of may then go on to collect cask strength £525; the right ratio of price, age and bottlings only, trading in their first spe- availability. It comes with a ‘tasting mini- cialisation to finance the next project. ature’ which of course you can’t open oth- Others home in on one region or even erwise you’ll devalue it. What a shame! one distillery; Glenmorangie, Macallan & Springbank are favoured for a steady trickle of interesting releases. By con- trast, in this case, Glengoyne have blown it because of too many, too expensive and too frequent variants. Limited or numbered editions are not al- ways desirable; the ratio of number re- leased to price is an important factor and you should be advised the total number produced in the world (don’t be fooled by the UK number.) A release of up to 600 uniquely presented bottles is scarce; 2,000 bottles and a sensible price is worthwhile. Bowmore’s release of 300 bottles at £4,000 is wrong (there aren’t Dark horses that many fools in the world,) however Tee Hee! Glengoyne steal the show on have rolled out their oldest cask and Macallan’s ‘1874’ release of over 20,000 packaging again with the ‘2000AD Mil- found a measly 250 bottles in it. To raise at £64 was a winner because many were lennium’ presented in a Grandfather the attraction it is being presented in a opened and soon after the supply fin- clock! Wacky or what? hand made real copper still decanter ished prices had leapt three-fold. Bottled at 51.3% the blurb states ‘the (glass lined) and sold for £490. An at- Whatever your choice, you are guaranteed ages of the whisky add up to 2000’ (it’s tractive, novel and limited presentation. much pleasure in something that will add best not to dwell on that bit). Priced at Also in stock, Glen Garioch’s bicentenary decoration and interest to your home, and £555 with a world availability of 2,000 200 bottles at £500. Please ask for de- you shouldn’t lose money to boot! they may just have hit on a winner. tails of this, or any others mentioned.

SCOTCH WHISKY REVIEW — LOCH FYNE WHISKIES, INVERARAY, ARGYLL, PA32 8UD PAGE 9 is only what is right for you; what, after a sherry glass, but a bit bigger and not THINK AS WELL AS DRINK consideration, you find most pleasur- so narrow in the mouth. Various of the Pip Hills, founder of the Scotch Malt Whisky able. The following are a few thoughts distillers (Glenmorangie and Bowmore Society, suggests some methods of which you may find helpful. come to mind) have produced fancy vari- post-purchase gratification... Malt whiskies and blended whiskies are ants, but none are an improvement. I have been asked if I would write some- usually treated rather differently; However, they aren’t dear and perfectly thing to guide you in the matter of en- blends being taken with ice and mixers. good. If you can’t find a nosing glass, use joying your dram. This is not the sort of This distinction has become something any wine glass which keeps the spirit in thing I usually do, believing that people of an orthodoxy, though it is worth men- while allowing you to slosh it around and should be left to their own devices in tioning that in the Scotland in which I thus saturate the air in the glass. such matters. We do it naturally; so do grew up all the men (and most of the Which brings me to a very important most other critters. If you’ve ever seen a women) drank blended whisky with only point; most of what you will learn about pig with its nose in the swill, you will a little water. Ice, soda, ginger and stuff a whisky you will get by sniffing the air know what wholehearted enjoyment is like that was for nobs and foreigners. in the glass, not by drinking the whisky. about. Or some pompous diner with his When I drink I mix it with whatever will As with wine, whisky tasting is predomi- snout in a balloon of expensive cognac. make it palatable. Cheap in blended nantly about nosing. We get most of What the two have in common is the con- whiskies as in malts doesn’t necessarily what we call taste through our nose. We viction that it’s good stuff, and the ab- mean nasty, just as dear isn’t always may be smarter than the pigs, but our sence of any critical faculty. (I can count good. Blended whisky is much better noses aren’t in the same class as pigs’, on my fingers the people I’ve met who than it used to be and I think a lot of the so that we may fairly say the chap with know anything about brandy.) better blends are best taken with only a his nose in the balloon may actually be I think what Richard wanted was a few drop of water. But if you like the stuff experiencing enjoyment of a lower order hints from me as to what to do with the with pineapple juice, fine. I have drunk than the porker with his in the trough. bottle you’ve just paid him fifty quid for, Bell’s with diesel oil, though I have to On which point; do make sure you can so as to enhance what the marketing say I prefer it without. smell before deciding to become a whisky geeks call post-purchase gratification. buff. If you can’t, do something else. (If That shouldn’t be too difficult, for it is you think this is a daft thing to say, I liable to be very good stuff and the If you subject it can tell you that I know two people, one chances are you will like it, irrespective in this country and one in the USA, both of how you consume it. However we en- of whom have managed to pass them- joy different things in different ways. to the plodding selves off as experts on whisky, neither The enjoyment of fine liquor is aug- of whom has any sense of smell. It just mented when, by the addition of experi- shows how gullible is the public in gen- ence and understanding, it becomes ap- circumscription eral and the malt buff in particular.) preciation. Experience allows us to com- So you take some good whisky, and you pare what we taste against some stand- put a little of it in the bottom of the right ard—or at least against previous, simi- of the train sort of glass and you add a little sweet lar tastes—and understanding allows us water, and you slosh it around and you to organise and inform the experience. sniff. That’s about it. Do it quickly, for So if you want to enjoy your dram prop- spotter’s mentality, the more volatile odours will soon go off. erly, you will have to think as well as First impressions are the most valuable, drink. The pleasure is as much intellec- for so will your nose (go off that is). A tual as sensual. When we set up the you merely waste really good malt will continue to provide Scotch Malt Whisky Society, the Tast- smells of interest and variety for twenty ing Committee was a bunch of my chums or more minutes after it is poured. When who met in my kitchen. I chose them for good drink I visited Loch Fyne Whiskies the other their literary ability as much as for their day, Richard poured me two malts; af- knowledge of whisky. Indeed, they didn’t ter half and hour, one was still produc- have to know much about whisky at The same goes for malt, but you lose a ing interesting odours while the other all—though of course all of them did. lot of the quality—and therefore the in- was completely dead. (The latter, signifi- What was important was that they could terest—if you mix it with anything other cantly, was one of the few malts I don’t produce words to describe what they than water. Ice kills it and mixers mask much like.) (And the former, our own tasted. That said I remember one, cer- the more subtle flavours, so if you wish Living Cask™— ‘Proud’ Ed.) tainly one of the finest scholars and po- the sensual to be augmented by the in- If you want to write about your whis- ets of his generation, who could come up tellectual, you should take your dram kies (some folk keep a cellar book—a with nothing better than the comment with a little water. Make sure it’s decent practice which I would deplore, were it that, “It’s chust a lovely whisky, chust a water, though. Most water tastes, so be- not for my gratitude to the admirable lovely whisky.” He should have known, fore you have any with your malt, taste and eccentric Saintsbury) then do try to having had more than half a century of the stuff. If you don’t have good water use you own words and wits. If there is drinking the stuff, but we could get noth- on tap, buy bottled—but taste that as anything that smacks of the pseud, it is ing better out of him all night. So you well, for some of the bottled waters are the malt buff who reads in a book de- don’t have to be able to describe it to lousy. And don’t use sparkling water; fizz scriptive terms culled from someone appreciate it. is for infants and the gas produces car- else’s experience, and then tries to ap- I suppose if you are a relative novice, bonic acid, which is fine for lemonade ply them without knowing what they what you want is the word from the and champagne, but not for seriously mean. Myself, I think whisky is a thing horse’s mouth; somebody to tell you what good liquor. of the spirit, in more senses than one. If the rules are and what is the right and As important as the water, is the glass. you subject it to the plodding circum- only way to drink a malt. Well, despite Contrary to what you might think, the scription of the train spotter’s mental- what you may have heard from the born- glass you drink out of has a great influ- ity, you merely waste good drink. It is again malt buffs (a species which ence on what you taste. Best is the nos- after all, an intoxicant and it holds infi- emerged a few years ago), there are no ing glass used for generations in the nite possibilities in the realms of song, rules and there isn’t a right way. There whisky industry. It is based on the copita, speculation and, eventually sleep.

PAGE 10 SCOTCH WHISKY REVIEW — LOCH FYNE WHISKIES, INVERARAY, ARGYLL, PA32 8UD THE RIGHT TOOLS WHAT’S OUR FAVOURITE? NOW YOUR RICH OLD If you know about whisky you know about Ardbeg, Springbank and UNCLE’S DIED Glenfarclas. and answered all your prayers... If you really know about whisky you Those of you who have more money than know about Aultmore, Bruichladdich, a horse has hairs—but still seek the Clynelish, and Johnnie Walker Black canny value that made you a millionaire, Label (and Loch Fyne Whiskies). will have a special display cabinet to Bound to stir controversy and debate, show off your... here’s a list of our more esoteric favour- OB Glenfarclas 30yo £69.00 (that’s al- ites which should feature in any self re- most cheap!) Hold it in your mouth and specting whisky buff’s cellar book. We’ve chew it until you nearly drown! OB tried to list them by way of a developing Glenlivet 18yo £42.20 shows just why all GLASSWARE portfolio towards the ultimate booze the other distillers wanted the name. A traditional whisky tumbler is fine, cabinet. The juicy OB Glenturret 1966, £86.60 even a pleasure, for a blended whisky Hopefully you will be encouraged to try and OB Springbank 21yo £44.90, one of but for malt whisky appreciation there something new as a result. our top sellers, but for a real champ is a better glass for the job. The streamline drinks tray drink, OB Springbank 1966 £95.00, Our classic nosing glass has a generous For those in a boat or bed-sit accommo- umpteen flavours—go on count them! belly to accumulate aromas, a narrow dation, three whiskies to impress the More sophistication in the nectar of the rim to focus those delights for consid- expert and yourself (and the only ones distillers, OB Knockdhu 21yo £46.90. eration and a lid to keep them for you we keep at home—honest!) Loch Fyne Those sherry fans have to buy the cream rather than the fairies. Engraved gradu- Blend £14.60, Inverarity 10yo £19.90 of the Macallan—Gran Reserva £76 or ations allow accurate dilution. and Inverarity Ancestral £27.90. the Loch Fyne lookalike Mac’ 30yo £157 For more relaxed malt drinking we rec- No surprises there. Now we have the self and, combining sherry with peat, OB ommend our port glass. Its wider rim promotion out of the way we can expect Bowmore 30yo £154. and better balance aids contemplative some respect for our independent advice. Finally, Whyte & Mackay’s 21yo £59.90 enjoyment. For the corner cupboard is the (blended) whisky that I will be We also enjoy using our simple water ca- Next to that collection we would add our drinking when my ship comes in. rafe, far less fuss than a lipped jug. 1998 bottling of the year, OB Highland It’s distressing the number of visitors to Classic Nosing Glass £7.90 Park 18yo £36.90, rich and spicy, a truly our shop who reject any suggestion that Port Glass £3.50 superb after dinner dram. Then the blended whisky is as good or better than Water Carafe £3.50 magnificent OB Ardbeg 17yo £28.80; not the best single malts but many in the When evaluating a dram it is helpful to a great Ardbeg, not peaty enough, but a industry will call for a Johnnie Walker have more than one kind in order to pre- supreme single malt and suitable for all Black Label long before the majority of vent familiarity setting in. Sampling in malt fans. malts. Subtlety and complexity with a increasing intensity and then going back Something with such softness, no mouth drinking cleanness make blends im- again will reveal more than concentrat- feel just a wash of flavours, is the OB mensely satisfying. ing on one alone. Many LFW customers Old Pultney 12yo £22.20. Time to in- Next time at the bar, ask for a 12yo blend enjoy ‘one-to-five’ parties where whis- clude the proprietor’s past and future and take some time to enjoy its company. kies are selected according to our taste (once the Ancestral is all gone) favour- Personal recommendations are Black score of 1 to 5 from our stock list for a ite; Clynelish, either the OB or CC Label, Grouse-Gold Reserve, Spey Cast convivial evening of descriptor bandying. £24.50 which is as good, but better value. and the very peaty Black Bottle 10yo. LFW Tasting Mat & Cellar Book A Lowlander should be represented The LFW melamine tasting mat is a about now and the OB Auchentoshan SINGLE BLENDED WHISKY white, wipe clean mat for five glasses 10yo £21.90 fits well, light and creamy— Think about it! and an aide memoire of descriptors to typical of the region. Progressing Loch Lomond Single Blended Scotch assist discussion and note taking. through our taste rating to—2 brings Whisky, the world’s first single blend has Finally, to record those inspired sensory G&M’s Scapa £22.90; our—3 would be been released. What’s a single blend? All discoveries, Neil Wilson’s Malt Whisky OB Glenfarclas 15yo £28.90; —4 the sub- the whiskies used to make this blend Cellar Book is a handsome tome to treas- lime OB Bruichladdich 15yo £33.30, the have been produced at the Loch Lomond ure those thoughts and memories of your favourite of drinkers on the Island of Is- Distillery at Alexandria. It is five years most special tasting sessions. lay (when you can find them!) and com- since the grain distillery was completed LFW Tasting Mat £4.90 pleting our one-to-five matful would be and now the hopes of owner Sandy Malt Whisky Cellar Book £15.00 the cheeky but very quaffable S Ardbeg Bulloch to produce his own unique sin- 8yo £19.90. gle blend can be realised. Now a few to suggest before we start to By adjusting the peating level at the spend some real money. malting stage, or controlling the reflux Sherry fans need the smoky and in their sophisticated stills, they can pro- sherried OB Dailuaine £29.90, OB duce seven styles of single malt from the Glendronach 15yo £23.50 and the cham- one distillery. They are named (in in- pion OB Macallan 18yo £39.90. They creasing order of weight): Loch Lomond, (and others) should also have a bottle of Inchmurrin, Glen Douglas, Rhosdhu, OB Glenmorangie’s port wood finish Craiglodge, Inchmoan & Croftenga. The £29.90. last is malted to 100ppm peat, three More sophisticated Speysiders (or style times that of Laphroaig! Only Inchmurrin of) will delight in the complexity of OB and Rhosdhu are bottled at present. Glen Rothes 1982 £34.50, Adelphi’s These seven malts and the grain have Macallan 9yo at cask strength £34.90, been blended to produce a very palat- Special! Five classic nosing glasses, a ca- and G&M’s water loving Strathisla able medium-light blend, clearly not just rafe, tasting mat and cellar book £55.00 £25.00. a gimmick.

SCOTCH WHISKY REVIEW — LOCH FYNE WHISKIES, INVERARAY, ARGYLL, PA32 8UD PAGE 11 We get many requests for back-issue land; First Run (Isle of Arran). vival. SWRs (must be doing something right). Page 12: Introducing our house malt. LFW interview, pages 2-3: “The Lobbyist”, Copies are available for a reasonable Edition 5 — Spring 1996 Hugh Morrison, Director General, Scotch £1 per edition (no charge for UK p+p). Editorial: A cure for wamblying. Whisky Association. Page 1: A super-premium blend (Loch Page 4; ‘Is that all you do?’— Michael SWR INDEX Fyne); Balblair sold. Jackson; Whisky for your ears— Walter Edition 1 — Spring 1994 LFW Interview, pages 2-3: “The Profes- Schobert. Editorial — ‘?Answers?’ sor”, Prof. Ronnie Martin, O.B.E., Inverar- Page 5: Whisky for your eyes; Book re- Page 1: Various introductions. ity Vaults, creator of The Loch Fyne. views: Complete book of whisky—Murray. Page 2: The role and working day of a Page 4: The Loch Fyne launch, Malt Whisky—MacLean; LFW marma- master blender— Ian Grieve, Master Glendarroch Distillery. lades; New Highland Parks. Blender United Distillers . Page 5: Raise your glass to the blender Page 6: Ardbeg safe! (part 2)—new Page 3: Distillery feature — Clynelish — Charles MacLean. bottlings; UD & ‘cask strength’. Page 4: What’s in a name?— Ted Pages 5,6 + 7: New customers start here. Page 7: The Islay brothers; LFW brooches; Thompson, MacDuff International. Page 8 The Claive Vidiz Scotch Whisky LFW tasting mat. Page 4: My memorable dram— Gordon museum in Brazil— Martin Whitholm. Page 11: Review of the celebrity tasting Wright, . Page 9: Letters page (at last!). season. Edition 2 — Autumn 1994 Page 10-11: Malting Methods— Mike Page 12-13: Someone has to do it...— Editorial — ‘Big brothers and others’ Jappy, Manager, United Malt and Grain Leaves from Charlie MacLean’s diary. LFW Interview, pages 2-3: “Mr Whisky”, Distillers Ltd. Page 14-15: Argyll’s forgotten whisky bar- Dr Alan Rutherford, Chairman of Produc- Page 11: Lochside Hotel, Bowmore, ons (Greenlees Brothers)—Robert tion, United Distillers. whisky weekends; Scotch Malt Whisky Haydock. Page 4-5: ‘Labels demystified’. Society ‘Whisky school’. Page 16: Cask owners’ relief. (Cask Page 5: The story of Strathhaggis (bottling Edition 6 — Autumn 1996 whisky buyers helpline). terms explained). Editorial: Winners Edition 9 — Spring 1998 Page 6: ‘Points—ou nil points?’— Michael Page 1: Prestigious award for the Loch Editorial: A sad day. Jackson. Fyne; Changes at Macallan; Ardbeg for Page 1: Balmenach’s future toasted; New Page 6: ‘The world of whiskies’— Gavin sale. Export Records; Bruichladdich back. Smith. LFW Interview, pages 2-3: “The Pounds, LFW interview, pages 2-3: “Distilled 50 Page 7: ‘¡Buenos Dias! Readers’— Ted Dollars & Yen”, Alan Gray, Industry Ana- years”—John MacDougal, Tomatin Distill- Thompson, MacDuff International. lyst, Sutherlands Ltd. ery & President of Malt Distillers Associa- Page 7: My memorable dram— Alec Page 4: The International Wine & Spirit tion of Scotland. Neish, Stillman . Competition. Page 4: Macallan 1946 & Gran Reserva; Edition 3 — Spring 1995 Page 5. The Macallan—The Story, bid and Diageo explained; MacLean’s Pocket Editorial: British Whisky Review? future. Guide. Page 1: Bruichladdich Mothballed. Page 9 It’s a hard job but someone has to Page 5; The broker’s tale— Gavin Smith. LFW Interview, pages 2-3: “The Sales do it! (Macallan 1874 and selecting the Page 9: My first dram— Jim Murray; Man”, Andrew Dewar-Durie, Managing Di- Royal Lochnagar select reserve). Ardbeg news. rector, Allied Distillers. Page 10: Johnnie Walker’s loss of face; Page 10: Someone has to do it...— Leaves Pages 4-5: New customer pages. Some Loch Dhu (and some loch don’t). from Charlie MacLean’s diary. Page 6: 500th Anniversary blends; Glen Page 11: Whisky wordsearch; Stoddie’s Page 11: Dà Mhìle (Organic Springbank Scotia & Littlemill— ‘No plans’; Tobermory Christmas menu; Scotch taste defined— for millennium); LFW Bottling of the year— to become single malt; ‘Hairy Hill’ to re- Michael Jackson. Highland Park 18yo. start distilling soon. Edition 7— Spring 1997 Page 12: Another house malt? Inverarity Page 7: Now Europe nose— Walter Editorial: Peat before the beak. Ancestral; Collector’s loft. Schobert. Page 1: Ardbeg safe!; Distiller’s beef. Edition 10 — Autumn 1998 Edition 4 — Autumn 1995 LFW interview, pages 2-3: “The All- Editorial: Sympathy for the devil. Editorial: Trumpet for two. rounder”, John Grant, Glenfarclas. Page 1: Benromach back; buys Page 1: One down... (Glen Garioch) ...and Page 4: Words of wood— Gavin Smith. Dewars and 4 distilleries. one up! (Isle of Arran). Page 5: Ardbeg acquisition; LFW season LFW interview, pages 2-3: “The Com- LFW Interview, pages 2-3: “The Independ- of celebrity tasting evenings. pany”—Chairman & board of Inver House ent”, George Urquhart, Chairman, Gordon Page 9: Tasters; new bottlings: Distillers. & MacPhail. Auchentoshan, Glen Garioch, Scapa, Page 4: Benromach renewed; Orkney’s Page 4: Whisky work—Charles MacLean. Glendronach & Bunnahabhain. Peat— Iain Stothard; News of Scapa & Page 5: Time for new glasses? Pages 10-11: Re-inventing the (tasting) Imperial. Page 9: tasters & nosings. wheel— Charles MacLean. Page 5: The Living Cask™; New shop. Page 10: Speed and violence —the magic Page 12: Ardbeg herring-wood finish! Page 8-9: 1898 - Boom & Bust— Gavin of yeast— Roger Jones, Industry manager Springbank news. Smith. Quest International. Edition 8 — Autumn 1997 Page 10-11: Kindred Spirits - The story of Page 11: An auction guide to Scotch Editorial: A load of (Ferin)tosh. Scotland’s other malt whiskies— Glenn whisky— Martin Green, Christies, Scot- Page 1: Glen Garioch back; Lowland re- McGill. SCOTCH WHISKY REVIEW is free to all bona fide mail order customers. If you have not bought by mail order from the last (Autumn) catalogue and do not buy from the accompanying (Spring) list then we will not be troubling you again. We are no longer sending out Stock Lists and SWR’s to prospective customers more than once. If you or a friend would like a current stock list please ask and you will be sent one with a back-issue SWR. Your name will not be placed on our mailing list for further mailings until you have bought by mail order from us. Your name will not be passed to any other organisation. © COPYRIGHT RESERVED 1999 LOCH FYNE WHISKIES Tel. 01499 302219 www.lfw.co.uk

PAGE 12 SCOTCH WHISKY REVIEW — LOCH FYNE WHISKIES, INVERARAY, ARGYLL, PA32 8UD