March 2nd, 2010

Once again, you’re the subject of my editorial

John Hansell

For those of you who still aren’t subscribers to Malt Advocate magazine (hint!), I thought I would post my editorial from the new issue that just mailed. Why? Because the topic is about you!

Have a look:

Are you addicted to whisky?

Okay, maybe “addicted” might be too strong. But I don’t think “obsession” is.

Over the holidays, I asked my blog readers on www.whatdoesjohnknow.com what their New Year’s resolutions were. Here are a few of many; note that they share a common theme:

“My resolution is to regain my sanity and not spend so much on whisky…”

 “Measure my drams more carefully to control portion size.”

“I spent too much on whisky this year. So much so, that my wife gave me some sideways glances. Not good.”

“My resolution will be to stop buying impulsively.”

“More willpower and less buying”

Control portion size? Regain your sanity? More willpower? Your wife is giving you sideways glances? What’s going on here?  (And why do I feel like those exact words came out of my mouth somewhere along the way?)

Here’s what I think this all boils down to. I think it’s a huge compliment to whisky. Whisky (and whiskey) is the finest, most complex, most individualistic, most diverse spirit in the world. Once someone truly discovers it, it’s hard to resist its magical allure.

If anyone understands, I do. One day, many years ago, a good friend turned me on to scotch, with help from a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label. The next day I read an article in Business Week magazine about single malt scotch. I immediately went to my local retailer and bought every bottle they had.  All three of them.

For years to follow, I wanted to try every whisky I could get my hands on. My life revolved around trips to Scotland, whisky bars, whisky retailers…and reading everything about whisky I could.

Just look at me now: obsession to the max! I publish a whisky magazine, host whisky festivals, conduct whisky tastings and consult to the whisky industry. I am embarrassed to say how many bottles of whisky I have. (Let’s just say it takes up an entire room in my house. A large room.)

Addiction? No. Obsession? Definitely. Worth it? Absolutely!

Hey, did you hear about the new Ardbeg whisky coming out? I hear that the peat smoke levels are through the roof! I have to get me a bottle of that…

See, when you comment on WDJK, you never know where your quotes will show up. Thank you for the inspiration!

Category: Malt Advocate Mag, Opinions 19 Comments

February 13th, 2010

One thing you can do while I’m away for a few days.

John Hansell

For those of you on Facebook, become a fan of Malt Advocate magazine. You can find the link here.

We’re just getting going, but we picked up 1,000 fans just in the past week. When I get back, I’ll be very active there too. Plus, you can post up your own thoughts on whatever (whisky related) topics you want and get a conversation going.

Category: Administrative, Malt Advocate Mag, Opinions No Comments

February 11th, 2010

Malt Advocate Magazine’s “Top Ten New Whiskies” for 2009

John Hansell

Top Ten New Whiskies of the Year (listed alphabetically)

You will not be happy with the prices of some of these whiskies, but here’s our ten best new whiskies released in 2009 (keeping in mind that whiskies must have been for sale in the U.S. in the 2009 calendar year to be eligible).

The selection process for this list is based primarily on the whisky’s rating. All ten whiskies rated 95 or higher in Malt Advocate  magazine.

Ardbeg Corryvreckan, 57.1%, $85
Powerful, muscular, well-textured, and invigorating. Even within the realm of Ardbeg, this one stands out. There are many relatively young whiskies with no age statement on the market. This is a benchmark. Quite stunning!

Brora 30 year old (2009 Release), 53.2%, $400
This whisky shows all the good aspects of a very mature whisky (depth, complexity) without all the bad ones (excessive oak, one-dimensional). It’s very clean and polished. One of the best releases from this shuttered distillery.

Dalmore 50 year old, $1,500/100ml
Incredibly viscous and chewy, and thick on the tongue. Very complex too, with that classic Dalmore marmalade note as its foundation. The flavors evolve like waves lapping on a beach. It is a whisky you can’t drink slowly enough.

Gold Bowmore, 1964 Vintage, 42.4% $6,250
Surprisingly lively for its age. I like this whisky better than White Bowmore but feels that it falls short of Black Bowmore, because it’s a bit softer and less vibrant on the palate. (But, for most of you with limited means, I can understand if you don’t really care.)

Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve, 46% (2009 vintage), $250
I love the pot still character and the lushness that some of the port-wood aging has imparted. If anything,  this 2009 vintage is even richer and lusher than the previous 2007 vintage I reviewed. Another classic Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve.

Laphroaig 25 year old, 51.2%, $500
I love the way the flavors of this whisky evolve on the palate. I also like that it retains some of its youthful brashness, while showing the depth that maturity affords a whisky. A delicious, well-balanced, old-fashioned Laphroaig.

Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve (Bottle B1986), 23 year old, 47.8%, $220
My review of this whiskey a few years back indicated this whiskey was too woody and past it’s prime to be a stellar whiskey. This one is much better. (Yes, whiskey bottlings do change over time.) There’s great balance and the oak is in check.

Parkers Heritage Selection Golden Anniversary, 50%, $150
This is a fabulous whiskey: seamless, incredibly complex, with an impeccable marriage of youth and maturity. It’s also very even-keeled throughout. A classic bourbon that’s very complex and yet very drinkable.

Rittenhouse Rye 25 year old (Barrel #1), 50%, $190
Not as vibrant as the 21 year old Rittenhouse Rye released a few years back, but it’s more sophisticated, which more than makes up for it. I can’t speak for the other barrels in this lot, but I think this one is a great example of what a 20-plus year old rye whisky should taste like.

William Larue Weller (2009 release), 67.4%, $65
This whiskey has improved greatly over the past two years. (I thought that the 2007 release was almost too easy-going, as some wheated bourbon can be.) A little more oak spice has added balance, complexity and depth. Very clean on the palate too. Excellent!

Category: Awards, Bourbon, Irish whiskey, Malt Advocate Mag, New Releases, Reviews, Rye whiskey, Scotch whisky Tags: , , , , , , , , , 44 Comments

February 11th, 2010

Malt Advocate Whisky Awards “Lifetime Achievement Awards”: John Ramsay and Robert Hicks

John Hansell

This year, we honor two master blenders who have greatly impacted the Scotch whisky industry.

John Ramsay

John Ramsay retired in 2009 after 43 years in the whisky industry. He started as a chemist in 1966, and over the years he’s had the combined roles of both master blender and chemist (the last eighteen years being with Edrington).

By the time he retired, he was responsible for both the laboratory and sample rooms (sensory analysis), overseeing employees responsible for the sensory examination of casks, new distillate, and mature whiskies. He’s been on the judging panel for various spirits competitions, and is also a “Keeper of the Quaich.”

John was the master blender for well-known blends like Cutty Sark and The Famous Grouse, and was also one of the “malt masters” of Highland Park and The Macallan. But perhaps his most significant achievement was the selection and creation of The Glenrothes since its release as a single malt in 1994. His signature is proudly stamped on every bottle of it since 2004, when he was involved in the creation of their “vintage” concept, which continues today.

Well done, John.

Robert Hicks

Robert Hicks started his career in whisky back in 1964. Before retiring from Allied Distillers in 2005 as master blender, he was responsible for the quality and flavor of many well-known whisky brands, including Ballantine’s, Teacher’s Highland Cream, and Laphroaig.

Since 2005, he has been a consultant master blender for Beam Global Spirits and Wines, working on Teacher’s Highland Cream, Laphroaig, and Ardmore whiskies.

His expertise covers all parts of the whisky industry, from distilling and maturation to blending, bottling, and marketing. Because of his efforts he has received numerous awards, and so have his whiskies. His most recent effort, and the one he’s most proud of, is the development of Laphroaig Quarter Cask.

As the scotch brand director for Beam Global put it: “To produce this exciting and unique Laphroaig variant is a tribute to the skills of Robert Hicks, who has overseen every step of this unrivaled process.”

We couldn’t agree more.

Category: Awards, Malt Advocate Mag Tags: , , , , , , , , , 3 Comments

February 10th, 2010

Malt Advocate Whisky Awards “Distillery of the Year”: Cooley

John Hansell

There was a time when there were only two distilleries in Ireland; they were, for a while, owned by the same company. Then this small distillery opens up, staunchly independent, and starts doing things unheard of in Ireland. Instead of making traditional Irish whiskey (triple-distilled, non-smoky, and with a pot still whiskey component), they started making very scotch-like whiskey (double distilled, single malt, and sometimes very smoky).

Let’s face it. That took a lot of guts.

Nearly twenty years later, they’re still making Irish whiskey, and they’re still doing it their way. You can purchase delicious grain whiskey (Greenore), smoky single malt whiskey (Connemara), non-smoky whiskey (Tyrconnell), and blended whiskey (Kilbeggan). In fact, you can now also purchase unaged spirit from their newly resurrected sister distillery, Kilbeggan. (Not to be confused with the blend of the same name.)

All this is great. But the most compelling justification for selecting Cooley for this award isn’t just the variety of the whiskeys they make. It’s the quality. They are now putting out the best whiskey they have ever produced. The three different Tyrconnell 10 year old “finished” whiskeys (finished in port, madeira, and sherry casks), are excellent examples. Some of the Connemara releases have rivaled those from the West Coast of Scotland.

In an era where hundreds of small distilleries are starting up across the globe, Cooley can be an inspiration to them all.

Tomorrow’s Malt Advocate Whisky Awards announcements: “Lifetime Achievement Awards”  and “Top Ten New Whiskies for 2009.”

Category: Awards, Irish whiskey, Malt Advocate Mag Tags: 26 Comments

February 9th, 2010

Malt Advocate Whisky Awards “Industry Leader of the Year”: Mark Brown (Buffalo Trace Distillery)

John Hansell

Industry Leader of the Year

Mark Brown, President and CEO of Buffalo Trace Distillery

Mark is a visionary, incredibly driven, a clever businessman, and most importantly, passionate about whiskey. Like many other whiskey CEOs, he wants to make the perfect whiskey. But I have never seen anyone work this hard at it.

Buffalo Trace is conducting thousands of different experiments (including some at their experimental micro-distillery), many of them groundbreaking. More importantly, whiskey enthusiasts get to taste them on an ongoing basis, through the highly anticipated “Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection” releases. Their stable of regular whiskeys is also astonishing. I can think of at least twenty-five different straight bourbon and rye whiskeys produced by Buffalo Trace, from the flagship Buffalo Trace bourbon to the annual Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, which are consistently among the finest American whiskeys being produced.

There are other amazing whiskeys, and distilleries, under the Buffalo Trace umbrella; all of the wonderful Van Winkle whiskeys, for example. In 2009, Buffalo Trace purchased the Tom Moore distillery, where Barton and Ridgemont Reserve 1792 are produced. Later in the year, they also acquired the Old Taylor brand.

Experiments, acquisitions, and exciting new releases of the highest quality and at reasonable prices: what more could a whiskey-lover ask for? Thank you, Mark. Don’t stop! (Like you ever would…)

Tomorrow’s Malt Advocate Whisky Awards announcement: Distillery of the Year.

Category: Awards, Bourbon, Malt Advocate Mag, Rye whiskey Tags: , 36 Comments

February 8th, 2010

Malt Advocate Whisky Awards “Pioneer of the Year”: Whisky Bloggers!

John Hansell

Pioneer of the Year

Whisky bloggers

Where do you find out about the new Maker’s Mark bourbon months in advance, with pre-release tasting notes from professional whiskey writers? When is Dalmore’s master blender Richard Paterson coming to your town? Where can you still find stocks of the discontinued Laphroaig 15 year old (at the best price)? How would you like to watch a video of the unveiling of the newest vintage of Evan Williams Single Barrel bourbon, months before it is for sale? Where can you meet other whisky enthusiasts like yourself from around the world to have intelligent discussions about whisky?

You’ll find all this and so much more on hundreds of whisky blogs. Sure, the world of blogging is not policed, and it’s not perfect. But whisky books, magazines, and writers aren’t perfect either. If you’re going to read someone’s blog review of a whisky, make sure you know who they are and whether you trust their opinions.

The truth is, whisky blogs are slowly but surely replacing whisky books and magazines with anything that is time-sensitive. That includes information on new releases, reviews of new releases, news on whiskies being discontinued, last minute notifications of whisky tastings, and much more.

In fact, I think whisky blogs will make “whisky review” books practically obsolete. Sure, some people will still buy them as a reference. But let’s be honest. In this day of limited special releases, most of these whiskies are long gone by the time a review of it shows up in a book.

I view my own blog as a “living, breathing” version of Malt Advocate. In my mind, it is a magazine—one that complements the hard-copy version. I think whisky blogging is evolving into its own form of publishing. Its value is only going to increase, but it’s already indispensable if you are a true whisky enthusiast.

(For a list of many great whisky blogs, forums, podcasts, etc., click on the “What does everyone else know?” button on the right column. There are dozens of great sites to inform and entertain you.)

Tomorrow’s Malt Advocate Whisky Awards announcement: Industry Leader of the Year.

Category: Awards, Malt Advocate Mag 52 Comments

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