Bowmore Ambassador Night, 16.05.2013

Of the eight distilleries operating in Islay, Bowmore was the first to produce single malt whisky in 1779. Situated on the island named the Queen of the Hebrides, it remains one of a decreasing number of distilleries still to produce its own floor malted barley which is laboriously hand turned using traditional tools today. Spending on average 40% more on wood casks than average distilleries, the focus is firmly directed into producing single malts rather than blends, and achieving only a lightly peated malt, contrasting with many other Islay producers; as such Bowmore has long been recognised for its distinguishing balance. Alisdair Dickinson of Morrison Bowmore distilleries (also responsible for Auchentoshan and Glen Garioch) took us through some key expressions in the range.

Bowmore 12 Year Old

Composed from two proportions of single malt aged respectively in North American Bourbon oak and Sherry oak casks, the two spirits blended together resulted in two combined distinct flavour profiles. The former casks lent familiar vanilla notes along with tropical coconut and banana, the latter a distinct nutty dryness. Only very mildly peated, that the two cask profiles could be so easily distinguished showed the precision and balance that Bowmore is famous for.

Most whisky enthusiasts will be familiar with the method for tasting; nosing the dram carefully, often in short, staggered sniffs, before taking an amount onto the tongue and breathing air into it. Alisdair suggested a technique certainly new to me which improved the nose hugely; whisky being spirit, a proportion of the nose is composed of ethanol which masks some of the pure fruit flavours. We were encouraged to place our tongues behind our teeth while nosing which opens the mouth only slightly; this reduced some of the burn of the ethanol, allowing us to smell the fruit aromas more clearly. Certainly something worth trying again!

Bowmore 15 Year Old

The intense, burnished bronze colour of this dram, known as Bowmore’s ‘darkest’ betrayed its twelve years spent in Bourbon casks, then further time in Oloroso sherry casks. This extended time in cask made for an astonishingly smooth whisky with hardly any ethanol burn. A combination of the Bourbon and Oloroso finishes lent rich sweet flavours of toffee, cocoa, figs, cinnamon and much more; rolling notes that suited the accompanying pieces of dark chocolate perfectly.

Again Alisdair offered a new inventive technique for removing the ethanol nose; he suggested covering the glass with one’s hand before swilling the dram around. The oily proteins of the whisky were evident in purer form upon the palms.

Bowmore 18 Year Old

Alisdair suggested we compare the 18yo immediately after the 15. Where the 15 started with a smoky punch on the entry, followed by the softer rich flavours and a sweet touch at the finish, the 18 opened – inversely – with upfront tropical fruit of pineapple chunks, syrup and cedarwood. As opposed to the 15 year old’s richness, here was a cleaner, precise dram revealing countless layers only gradually unfolding one after the other, with the smoke reserved to the back of the palate. Again the prevailing smoothness and brilliant balance were evident.

Tempest 10 Year Old, Batch 3, 55.6% ABV

And

Tempest 10 Year Old, Batch 4, 55.1% ABV

Two limited small batch releases; comparing them directly here demonstrated how despite similar maturation conditions, individual casks have potential to develop their own unique life and character.

Batch 3 was a truly fiery affair living up to its tempestuous name, showing distinct notes of sea salt, citrus peel and tang, with plenty of pepper and spice spotted by most tasters. Batch 4, being the same age and with only slight difference in ABV, also aged in first fill Bourbon casks, was altogether mellower, sweeter and more restrained. Nuttier, milkier notes of pistachios, crème caramel and even pine nuts ensured a gentler dram.

BenRiach Ambassador Tasting at Milroys, 09.04.13

Founded by John Duff in 1898 in the Spey Valley – the ‘Heart of Speyside’ – in North-East Scotland, BenRiach Distillery is distinguished by its whiskies which combine both the characteristic smooth drinking of Speyside malts with a keen focus on producing various cask finishes of unique quality, where its previous owners devoted production solely to blends. Such is this focus, that while most distilleries sell around 80% of their produce to be made into blended malts by other companies, BenRiach keeps on average 5% more malt from being sold, facilitating a greater proportion of differing cask finishes and blends to be made. In addition, the site bears distinctive pagoda-style chimneys used to produce peated, malted barley; a style more commonly found outside Speyside.

Master blender Billy Walker, an organic chemist, exercises rigorous control at every level of production, from the selection of barrels and the careful conditions managed in the cellar, to the actual blending itself. For example, in larger warehouses maturing casks may be kept stacked up high, ensuring differing temperatures and therefore cask variance. At BenRiach, casks are managed with greater stability and structure, allowing greater control and consistency of maturation. These factors, combined with the typically smooth, light nature of Speyside malt, allows for the purest expressions of cask finishes to be achieved. Distillery Manager Stewart Buchanan took us through some key expressions from the BenRiach range.

BenRiach Aged 16 Years
A great example of how the typical characteristic of Speyside whisky can be manipulated by blending various cask finishes into a desired drinking experience. This may be divided into three parts, which Stewart identified for us as we tasted; the entry was soft, but not too light – achieved from the whisky finished in first-fill Bourbon casks. Following was a punchier attack on the palate, apparently derived from second-fill Bourbon Hogshead casks, lending an oaky aggression. The lingering, mellower finish may be attributed to the Pedro Ximenez Sherry casks. It was fascinating to hear how the distinct flavours and timings of entry may be determined with such precision.

BenRiach 15 Years, Rum Finish
Stewart described the unpredictable nature of maturing in experimental casks; for example this rum finish appeared not to alter in character for a good two years, suddenly changing very rapidly. Interestingly, in buying casks the recipient is never entirely sure which rum was initially made in them, adding to the surprise of the eventual product’s character. This dram smacked more than a little of a famous branded dark rum; such was its sweetness and the lime-green quality of its hue. Other notes were similarly pleasant; tropical coconut and pampas grass, and woody Demerara sugar were softly evident.

BenRiach 10 Years, Peated
While Islay peated malts are characteristically fiery, oily and reminiscent of salty sea air, we were little expecting a peated expression of the gentler Speyside malt. The peat itself was from further inland and made of lesser decomposed matter, as opposed to the western, maritime peat used in Islay which typically has spent around ten thousand years decomposing below water. As such the resulting smoke was not considerably more subtle with hardly any burn on the palate, complementing the spirit itself; more of a soft wood-smoke than the oily maritime Islay character.

BenRiach 12 Years, Pedro Ximenez finish
Contrasting with the rum cask finish which is apparently one of the best-selling BenRiach expressions, the sweetest sherry cask finishes have begun to gain popularity again after a waning in the market. The nose began with syrupy honey, sultanas and dried fruit, typical found in PX sherry; the palate offered similar full sweetness which was balanced by a pleasant woody texture. Such exotic notes as eucalyptus, papaya and rosehips made an appearance in a great finishing dram to the night.

Milroy’s New Single Cask Bottlings Coming Soon!

Milroy’s of Soho have become famous for their single cask bottlings of rare and collectible spirits. This is thanks to a long tradition begun by brothers John and Wallace Milroy in the 1960s of travelling to Scotland, selecting choice casks from the distilleries themselves, and bottling under the Milroy’s of Soho name. We choose the casks with an aim to bottle unusual or particularly outstanding examples of single malt whisky for our discerning whisky lovers back home, and these have become rare collectibles in their own right.

Landing circa April 2013:

Peated Single Malt: Islay, distilled 2008

Zuidam Dutch Rye, distilled 2007

Millstone 14 Year Old, distilled 1999

Glen Elgin 17 Year Old, distilled 1995

email lee.tomlinson@milroys.co.uk quoting the relevant bottling to pre-register interest.

Bootleggers and Bourbon Tasting Review

The lineup…

Milroy’s of Soho holds a vast collection of whiskies from around the world; this tasting focused on Bourbon from Kentucky and other American whiskeys made from corn, wheat, rye and malted barley.  This base of cereals, the hotter climate of production and other factors makes for an entirely different beast to the predominantly malted barley based whisky of Scotland.  Lee and Angus illuminated the differing characters of the varying cereal bases in a fascinating tasting that certainly converted some hardened Scotch aficionados.

Elijah Craig, 47% ABV – £29.95

Named after the Baptist preacher based in Virginia (an area that eventually become Kentucky), who founded his distillery arround 1789.  It is perhaps owing more to his entrepreneurial success (he owned vast lands and property by his death) that Craig has been dubbed the ‘inventor’ of Bourbon; his distillery was among many similar operations springing up in the area around this time, and claims that he was actually the first to age the distillation in charred oak casks are unfounded.

Nonetheless the whisky on sale today is named after Craig, produced by the Heaven Hill distillery. An excellent introduction to the bourbon style, it bears the distinct characteristics of the distilled corn mash and new oak ageing; rich caramel, woody and grassy notes and a smooth, almost oily texture. The rich rusty-red colour originates from the oak barrel ageing, which due to the hotter climate of the region occurs at much increased rates than those in Scotland, with more distillate lost to evaporation, known as the ‘Angel’s share’. Indeed, in making the Elijah Craig 18 Year Old around two-thirds are lost.

Balcones Baby Blue, 46% – £56.95

The first Texan whisky on the market since Prohibition, it is also unique in being composed of 100% blue – as opposed to yellow – corn, resulting in a darker, brooding affair that certainly divided tasters; we detected notes as diverse as oil-cloth, marzipan, baked bread and even smoked chilli. After the mellow smoothness of the Elijah Craig this demonstrated the unusual areas experimental bourbon production can reach!

Lee favours the Bernheim.

Bernheim Original, 45% – £59.95

Another product from Heaven Hill, this is an example of 100% wheat based bourbon. Returning to the lighter end of the tasting spectrum, this was as floral and feminine as could be imagined. Though the distinctive vanilla notes and texture were present, so too were confected notes of pear drops and crystallized banana. Tasters praised its elegance in the wake of the Balcones harshness.

High West Double Rye, 46% – £45

This is a combination of a two year old 95% rye mash-bill with a 16 year old 53% rye mash from the High West distillery based in Utah. Rye based Bourbon is more commonly composed of 55–60% rye distillate, the rest from corn; the higher percentage here makes for a more difficult production as the increased concentration is more dense to work with, but nonetheless lends the resulting bourbon a purer expression of the rye character. Tasters picked up spicier notes, with more citrus zing, candied peel and even orange marmalade.

Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel, 45% – £48.50

Easily the most anticipated dram of the night.  Everyone knows Jack Daniel’s; it is in every bar, its advertising campaign currently adorns the London Tube, boasting of the rich heritage and traditional method prevailing in today’s widely exported product. ‘JD’ and the majority of other Tennessee whiskey is produced using the sour-mash method, whereby older batches of mash are introduced to the current mash being made, kick-starting its fermentation. The Single Barrel however is made from whiskey drawn from one barrel displaying a unique character that otherwise would be lost if made into a blend, as happens in the regular Jack Daniels No.7 we are all familiar with. Tasters were surprised at the distinctly lighter body, colour and refined nature of this dram, displaying more pronounced sweetness and power.

Parker’s Heritage, 65.8% – £110

A blend of Evan Williams (rye based), Old Fitzgerald and Larceny (wheat based) Bourbon from Heaven Hill distillery; the resulting whiskey contains four grains, and presents a careful balance of these component parts and flavours. Rich, full-bodied and hugely complex of deep amber colour, with honeyed notes, raisins, some spice of cinnamon and ginger yet avoiding cloying sweetness.

Hard work.

A quick vote at the end of our Bourbon experience revealed a majority in favour of the Elijah Craig as the smoothest, easiest dram, the Balcones winning fewest fans with its left field experimental style. The Double Rye and Parker’s Heritage each won around a fifth of votes for their unique flavours.

‘London’s Best Shops 2013′ by TimeOut

We are pleased to have been featured as one of
‘London’s Best Shops 2013′ by TimeOut:

 

Milroy’s of Soho January Sale

We’re delighted to bid a very warm welcome to our much anticipated Annual Whisky Sale Bonanza, which includes all manner of assorted goodies from rare single cask single malts to obscure independent bottlings, irresistibly reduced to tempt you out of January austerity! See below for the exhaustive (and exhausting) list to pick and choose a bargain.

Full List of Sale Whiskies

Quick 2012 Roundup
Milroy’s of Soho are continuing to put on exciting whisky tastings this year.  Highly successful in December was our first ever live Tweet tasting; four of Milroy’s bottlings were sampled in our tasting cellar in Soho, and Twitter users who had received samples in advance tasted alongside us; everyone contributed their views in real time, online and in fewer than 140 characters.

Follow us on Twitter to get regular updates on new tastings and limited edition releases.

We’ve also seen some fantastic drams from other producers over the past year; here are our personal picks of the very best…

Lee’s Drams
1. Burnside 1994 (Scott’s Selection), Named after a long since closed Campbeltown distillery, rumour has it that this bottle is a mixture of Balvenie and Glenfiddich (two of my favourite distilleries) so no wonder I enjoyed it, add into that the whisky is heavilly sherried and you have a perfect winter dram.
2. Glen Garioch 1978, Fantastic balance of flavours that change over the course of several hours.
3. Benriach Solstice 17 Year Old, released December 2011 but I didn’t try it until early last year so I think I’m allowed to include it, a superb complex, fruity and earthy smoky whisky.

Angus’s Drams
1. Glen Garioch 1978 without question,
2. The Arran Eagle (apricot, apple, pear slightly oily, possesses drinkability and great depth of flavour at great value).
3. Then finally, the Balvenie Caribbean Cask (classic Balvenie honey with demerara sugar and satsuma notes. Balvenie remaining on top form.)

Mitch’s Drams
1. Tomatin 30 Year Old, Awesome! Wonderfully refreshing summer dram, like biting into a peach with enough old whisky tones to make it truly incredible.
2. Springbank Rundlets and Kilderkins, offering chocolate, wood spice and a good whack of peat smoke, this is a one off treasure.
3. Milroy’s of Soho, Cooley 2001, it’s got the best nose of anything I’ve tried this year. Instantly likeable, lively and enjoyable.

Do let us know what your drams of the year were.  We never tire of talking whisky.
Lastly, we would like to thank you all for your custom and feedback over the past year, we very much look forward to seeing you again in 2013.

Cheers!

from all of us at Milroy’s of Soho

Milroy’s of Soho December Newsletter

December is proving to be a bumper month for fantastic rare single cask releases!

Our independent bottling of Cooley’s Single Malt can be snapped up for £55; until recently Cooley was the only privately owned distillery in Ireland before being sold to multinational Beam for a cool £60million in late 2011, making our limited release of only 394 bottles an increasingly rare collector’s item.

Even fewer—146—were bottled from Milroy’s selected cask of Glen Garioch, filled in November 1978 and matured for 33 years in a North American oak cask in the Aberdeenshire distillery. Customers and staff were blown away by its supreme elegance at the launch at our store in Soho earlier this month; retailing at £300 and exclusive to Milroy’s, this is a remarkable dram indeed, and one of many superb highlights new in this season.

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