Whiskiesl I WHISKY N L V L E Y R G a R R AY a REVIEW
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H FY C N SCOTCH O E whiskiesL I WHISKY N L V L E Y R G A R R AY A REVIEW EDITION 4 AUTUMN 1995 TRUMPET FOR TWO “An excellent mail order business” is the accolade awarded us in a recent Decanter magazine article. This sort of comment is something that has to be earned and we are proud to have done so. Because of our hands-on approach it is easier for us to look after you, the customer, on a personal basis. As a private partnership we are depend- ent on the shop in Inveraray and our mail order business and so we are very careful about our quality of service and the suggestions and recommendations we make. This edition of the SWR is twelve pages, the additional four pages being occupied by our ‘glossy’ catalogue, full of desir- able products for you to buy and enjoy. All of the items featured come with our recommendation and should you wish to return anything to us because you are disappointed, no problems. TAX CAMPAIGN RESULTS AWAITED We also give news of the appointment of Visitors to our shop, distilleries and the recent round of Party conferences have our house malt, The Inverarity. We had the opportunity to sign this card appealing to the Government to reduce the weren’t looking for a house malt but punitive tax on Scotch Whisky. How effective the campaign has been will be known found this so worthy of frequent recom- at the end of November when the Chancellor gets up on his back legs for the Budget. mendation that we made it ours. The (I thought we weren’t going to mention tax in this issue—Ed.) Loch Fyne Whiskies House Malt is an ‘award’ that we can give only once. We ONE DOWN... ...AND ONE UP! are delighted with our choice and GLEN GARIOCH distillery will be The Isle of Arran is producing legitimate commend it to you, whatever your taste. closed by the time you read this. The malt whisky for the first time since 1835. Ronnie Martin, founder of Inverarity distillery has been on the market for Distillery manager Gordon Mitchell Vaults with his son Hamish, also has an three years but the owners Morrison made the first cut of new spirit at excellent blend but we have refrained Bowmore Distillers have been unable to 2.29pm on June 29th. Whisky writer Jim from appointing a house blend at this find a purchaser. Murray sampled the first results of a six time as we have asked “The Professor” The surrounding land and associated year campaign to finance and build the to create a blend reflecting the warmth distillery workers’ housing is to be sold brand new distillery by Harold Currie, and character of Argyll. Order at least for further housing development whilst former managing director of Chivas one bottle from us before Christmas and the ultimate future of the distillery is Brothers. you will get a miniature of that proposed discussed with Grampian Council. “Stunning and bursting with charisma” blend for your comments. The results Bowmore and Auchentoshan distilleries is how Jim described the new spirit and of this exciting mass tasting and the are secure. this was confirmed by Gordon Mitchell’s launch of our new whisky will be “We are very sorry to have had to take comment “I just couldn’t believe how announced next year. this decision but we are not isolated from well it’s turned out, it’s so full of Please order for christmas as soon as the market conditions which are affect- character.” possible. We try to be very quick in ing the industry. This distillery has been Part of the funding for the distillery was turning orders around but inevitably we working at below 50% of capacity for by the Arran Bond, an innovative may get a bit slower in the next month. some time.” said Brian Morrison, who scheme of futures sales of ten cases to Despite that, it will still be an excellent added: “This has nothing to do with our subscribers. Now single case bonds are mail order business. Happy Christmas. new Japanese owners.” available. More on page 11. SCOTCH WHISKY REVIEW — LOCH FYNE WHISKIES, INVERARAY, ARGYLL, PA32 8UD PAGE 1 a room to the side housing a sink with a couldn’t stop otherwise the filter bed THE INDEPENDENT black marble surround with a fitment would lift and you would have to run the for upside down tasting glasses over whole lot through again. Done correctly the sink. you could get the whisky really LFW: Were there many whisky sparkling! brokers in Elgin? LFW: Was everything bottled? No, most in Elgin were involved in No, we sold a lot of whisky in bulk in distilling. With the exception of James stoneware jars of up to six gallons. Gordon, most brokers were based either These were made for us by Buchan’s in in Glasgow or Edinburgh. Portobello and the Blind Asylum in My father, who started working for Aberdeen made and maintained the Gordon & MacPhail from the earliest wickerwork that protected them. The days, worked mainly in the broking and jars had a cork, then a red wax seal and wholesale side and when James Gordon then our seal so it would show if it was died in 1915 he carried on the broking tampered with. The publican filled his side of the business on his own. I then glass counter jar, which often had the looked after it for my father. Like James name of the whisky gold-leafed onto it, Gordon, father also had share holdings from the stoneware jar. in several local distilleries including Customs controls were strict. Whenever Longmorn, Strathisla and Glen Grant. whisky left the warehouse it always had LFW: And presumably Mortlach. to be accompanied by a Customs permit. No, the close association with Mortlach If a Customs Officer stopped a wagon George Urquhart has worked for Distillery arose because my father was carrying spirits without a permit he the business of Gordon & MacPhail a close personal friend of the owner, Dr would assume it was smuggled. for 62 years and continues as Cowie. Many distillers used to seek LFW: Did you bottle for the distillers executive Chairman of what is now, father’s advice, particularly on market- or only for yourselves? indisputably, the world’s leading ing matters and occasionally, if stuck for Ourselves. Distillers were just making malt whisky specialist. a filling order, Dr Cowie would approach malt whisky—they had no interest in The company, which is also managed by my father. marketing and bottling themselves. his three sons and one daughter, This was in the time when a private Printers in Aberdeen would print bottle celebrates its centenary this year, and individual could go to a distillery and labels in bulk and then a local printer Loch Fyne Whiskies caught a glimpse have a ten gallon cask filled. I can re- would overprint our name. We would be of the industry over the years through member the local golf club used to fill issued with so many labels from the Mr Urquhart’s eyes. casks with Glen Grant and water it distiller when we were paying duty for LFW: Have you ever worked any down themselves, but they couldn’t fil- the casks at the distillery. where else? ter it and it was a murky looking whisky! I started full time at the age of 14; my Once it was in the glass it didn’t look so father thought that I would learn more bad and was enjoyed nonetheless. “the distillers working here than staying on at school. LFW: So you started on the bottling Even before that, I used to dodge down line; any recollections? from school to help with the whisky At that time we used to have lovely had no interest bottling. spring water in Elgin. It came from LFW: How many worked for Gordon Kellas and the Black Hills . Lovely in marketing” & MacPhail at that time? water, untreated and pure. These days About 35, we were significant local we have to purify the water before use employers. We were large importers of but back then we could use it straight LFW: Was this issue of labels to protect foodstuffs as well as the whisky and for reducing the whisky to normal the integrity of their whisky? grocery business. strength without any further treatment. That wasn’t necessary; people in those LFW: How important was whisky to I particularly recall we had a water- days trusted each other. Business the business of G&M? powered lift to move casks throughout dealings were based on gentlemen’s It was always very important. James the four-storey building which was agreements. Any unscrupulous person Gordon was deeply involved with the driven by the available mains water coming on the scene was identified fairly local distillers and he concentrated on pressure, no pumps at all. It was quickly. the whisky broking as well as wines and amazing, this rickety old thing, but it LFW: For how long was a malt other spirits rather than the grocery worked! They had them in Glasgow matured in those days? which was dealt with by John MacPhail. stores and I was amazed with the speed Distillers thought that if it was over Elgin was an important centre for the of those lifts, they were so fast! We still eight years old then it was too old. In whisky industry. Many of the distillery had to move 1/2 ton casks down some 1945 we started bottling Glen Grant at owners lived in some of the most pres- stone steps to the cellar—that was hard eight years old.