Tag Archives: single malt

Craigellachie Bar 51 – Sydney

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Your chance to try the world’s most uncollectable whisky

The latest release from Speyside’s Craigellachie Distillery has been a long time in the making. 51 years to be exact. But the best thing about this release is that it won’t cost you a fortune to taste it. In fact, it won’t cost you anything at all, because instead of packing this up in a crystal decanter and only making it available to the seriously well-heeled, Craigellachie have decided to break the mould and give this whisky away for free. 

Craigellachie 51

That’s right, instead of positioning this as another dust-collecting trophy bottle, Craigellachie have created what’s been dubbed ‘the world’s most uncollectible whisky’, a bottle that can’t be purchased, but one that available for whisky fans to try through Criagellachie’s Bar 51 tasting events.

The Bar 51 series kicked off in the UK late last year and after stops in London and New York it has finally made its way to Australia for its last stop in Sydney and a few days ago we were treated to a special preview tasting at Sydney’s Firedoor restaurant.

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The whisky

The Craigellachie 51 year old was distilled way back in 1962 when the distillery was operating a single pair of coal-fired stills and when they also floor-malted their own barley. The distillery was rebuilt between 1964-65, introducing four steam-heated stills, at which time they also ceased floor malting. So aside from this being an incredibly well-aged whisky, the production method of the liquid is rather different to that of the spirit flowing from the stills today. As such, in tasting this 51 year old, you really are consuming a little bit of genuine whisky history.

If you’re half paying attending at this point you might note that 1962 + 51 years doesn’t quite equal 2019 and you’d be exactly right. The refill bourbon hogshead that held this whisky was ‘discovered’ slumbering in their warehouses back in 2014, at which point it was transferred in bulk to glass at 40.8% ABV. Over the next few years whilst the team decided exactly what to do with it, the proof continued to decline until it was eventually bottled in 2018 at the natural strength of 40.3% ABV.

Everyone will have their own experience and thoughts on this majestic old malt, but here are mine.

On the nose it was still vibrant, fresh and fruity despite half a century in oak. Oily, tropical fruits, peaches, honey and waxed leather. The nose continued to open up and evolve, revealing more fleshy fruit, tobacco and other stately notes as the night went on. 

On the palate the first thing I noticed was the amazing texture. At 40.3% this is pretty much the same strength as any readily-available blend on the market, but the Criagellachie 51 year old carried immense weight, density and grippy oiliness to it. As a result, the palate delivered lots of waxy fruit notes, summer fruit fan, buttery pastry and surprisingly gentle oak on the finish.

A complex dram that would no doubt continue to evolve for as long as you could resist drinking it and an absolute pleasure to try.

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Other true stand-outs for me included the Craigellachie 23 year old and a very special bottle from their Exceptional Cask series, another 23 year old Craigellachie that had been extra-matured for 10 years in ex-Rioja red wine casks. Normally a whisky that had spent 10 years in a red wine cask would scare me a little (tannin overload!), but this was amazingly integrated and just delicious stuff with sweet toffee apples, red berries and dark dried fruit galore! Look out for this one if you happen to be traveling through international airports as it’s exclusive to travel retail.

Your chance to try the Craigellachie 51 year old

Craigellachie’s Bar 51 is officially coming to Australia next month (October) and everyone is able – and heartily encouraged – to be part of the action. To be one of the 80 Australians who will have the pleasure of trying the Craigellachie 51 year old at Sydney’s The Duke of Clarence, head on over to craigellachie.com and enter the free ballot. Each prize consists of two tickets where you and your guest will be treated to Craigellachie’s core range of whiskies (13, 17 and 23 year olds), along with the 51 year old.

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Bar 51 pops up in Sydney for three nights only (23-25 October) and entries close on Friday 11 October, so hop to it, visit craigellachie.com and enter today. It couldn’t be easier! 

A special thanks to Bacardi Australia and Firedoor for an evening of hospitality and delicious food and whisky. All images supplied. 

Glenmorangie x Kingsleys

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A grain to glass whisky dining experience

Scottish Highland distillery, Glenmorangie, have teamed up with one of Sydney’s prime waterfront restaurants, Kinsleys, to deliver a special four-course menu designed to be enjoyed with some of Glenmorangie’s finest drams. It sounds like the perfect winter treat and I recently had the pleasure of experiencing it for myself – here’s a preview of what you can expect.

Grain to Glass

Perched right on the edge of the harbour at Sydney’s iconic Finger Wharf in Woolloomooloo, Kingsley’s are probably best known as a premium steakhouse and seafood restaurant. But for the rest of June, they’re offering diners another winter-warmer option with their Grain to Glass menu, delivered in partnership with Glenmorangie single malt scotch whisky.

Glenmorangie and tonic

A refreshing Glenmorangie Original + Tonic was served on arrival, which was a perfect palate awakener for the first course which was soon to arrive. Can’t say I’ve ever tried whisky and tonic before, but the combination was eye-opening and I think I’ve found myself a new summer drink.

Glenmorangie Oysters

Freshly-shucked Sydney rock oysters were served along-side Glenmorangie’s Quinta Ruban; a whisky finished in port casks for two years, after ten years of initial maturation in ex-bourbon barrels.

Glenmorangie Risotto

Glenmorangie Nectar d’Or was the next dram we were invited to explore, alongside a pearl-barley risotto of spanner crab, lemon, charred radicchio and almond. Extra matured in sweet wine barriques from Sauternes, France, this dessert-like whisky has long been one of my favourites. The chewy barley-texture of the risotto and smoky char of the radicchio played nicely against the malty sweetness of Nectar d’Or.

Glenmorangie Venison

The third course was venison (cooked two-ways) and smoked kipfler potatos. Glenmorangie Lasanta – extra-matured in Oloroso and PX sherry casks – was the accompanying dram here and was another solid choice in my opinion. The sweetness, dried-fruit notes and spice from the sherry casks helped tie the dish together, playing off nicely against the fermented cherry jus and rich gamey character of the venison.

Glenmorangie Signet

The savoury elements were enjoyable, but I’m a bit of a sucker for dessert and the caramelised brioche, date ice cream, pedro ximenez and hazelnut brittle was a great combination. Very happy to report that it tasted as good as it sounds, and paired along-side Glenmorangie’s flagship Signet whisky, it was a fitting end to a decadent meal.

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The Glenmorangie x Kingsleys Grain to Glass menu is available until 30 June for $130 per person. For full details, you can check the menu out here. Special thanks to both Glenmorangie & Kingsleys for the enjoyable evening.

Highlander Whisky Bar, Sydney

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The iconic Sir Stamford, Circular Quay has brought a little bit of Scotland to Sydney

I’ve always loved the bar at the Sir Stamford hotel in Sydney’s Circular Quay. It’s grandiose, but without being stuffy. There’s polished oak, marble and old art at every turn, yet it’s clear that it’s not contrived, which is just one of the reasons I love this old glamorous space. So when I heard that it was to be given a rebirth as Sydney’s newest whisky bar, I was naturally very interested.

Highlander Whisky Bar Sir Stamford

The Highlander Whisky Bar opened its doors in the space the other week and it ticks all the right boxes for me. They’ve kept all of the elements mentioned above which make this such a great space, but have tastefully added a splash of tartan here and there. It’s the kind of place you can spend a few hours catching up with a friend, or share a nightcap after a great meal.

Highlander Whisky Bar

Sir Stamford partnered with David Ligoff, co-founder of Sydney’s World of Whisky and The Whisky Show series to help bring the concept to life with a curated selection of bottles that are sure to please everyone; from those starting to get into whisky, through to serious whisky fans looking for something a little out of the ordinary.

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For those looking for something a bit more than an after-work dram, a Whisky High Tea, complete with whisky-infused desserts and a matching whisky flight has recently hit the menu. They’ll also be offering a whisky of month, along with bi-monthly whisky masterclasses, each with a specific theme. 

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Check out the Highlander Whisky Bar on Facebook for all the latest info, or better yet, drop in for a dram next time you find yourself up that end of town.

Diageo Special Releases

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It’s that time of year again where Diageo bring out the big guns and introduce the Australian market to the latest bottles from their Special Releases collection. If you’re not familiar with the Special Releases collection, it’s essentially the one time each year where Diageo take a good hard look at their entire portfolio of distilleries – both open distilleries and long-closed distilleries – and release a series of bottles to celebrate the diverse range of flavours found at each.

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These bottles aim to showcase distilleries and flavour profiles that you’re unlikely to find in their core range products that are found on the shelves of retailers on a daily basis. Many of these are one off releases; bottles you’re not going to see again in this shape, form or vintage.

In its 18th year, we again see some familiar expressions like the Lagavulin 12 year old and an ‘unpeated’ Caol Ila (significant, given all of the standard releases from this Islay distilleries are quite smoky little numbers!) But there are also a number of other interesting bottles in Special Releases collection this time. Some that are interesting because they’re old and rare, and others because they’re young and unusual.

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Thanks to a generous invitation, I recently had the chance to taste six of the ten released this year in Australia. 

The Singleton of Glen Ord 14 year old

Up first was The Singleton of Glen Ord 14 year old. Ordinarily, whisky from Glen Ord distillery, or whisky bottled under the Singleton label hasn’t generally been a source of excitement for me. This promised to be a little bit different though, given it had been through a five-wood maturation and cask marriage regime and was bottled at 57.9%.

Rich notes of waxy honeycomb, mushy baked apples, zest and sweetness on both the nose and the palate, with a spicy sweet, yet minty dryness on the finish. I was too quick to judge this one. While not super complex, it was really enjoyable and dare I say it – quaffable!

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Inchgower 27 year old

You’ll be forgiven if you’ve never heard of Inchgower, as it has always been a significant component of blended whisky, including Bells and Johnnie Walker and is seldom seen as a single malt. Apparently less than 1% of production is bottled as a single malt, so this is an interesting addition to the lineup this year.

After the sweetness of the Glen Ord, I found the Inchgower to be quite dry and tight on the nose. It’s quite savoury, with some mossie salty earth notes, damp, coastal, spicy hessian sacks and leather. The palate was also savoury, but with some tropical fruit notes lurking in the background among quite a lot of drying spice. I can count the number of Inchgowers I’ve tasted on one hand, so I’m not sure what the ‘typical’ profile is. Something I’d quite like to explore further.

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Pittyvaich 28 year old

Like the Inchgower, you’d also be forgiven if you’ve never come across Pittyvaich before. Built in 1974, it was one of the youngest Speyside distilleries (most were built a good century or more earlier), but it was short-lived, closing in 1993.

On the nose it was quite waxy, with some flinty gingerbread notes, firm stone fruit in the background and a touch of coconut. The palate delivered notes of honey, rich spice, caramel, coconut and some of those tropical fruit notes in the background again (papaya, and green mango).

Oban 21 year old

In contrast to the previous two, the one probably doesn’t need much in the way of an introduction. Despite the small size of this western highlands distillery, Oban seems to be a gateway single malt for so many people. The Oban 14 year old was one of the very first single malts I ever purchased, but that’s pretty much where the core range ends in terms of Oban with an age statement on it. So I was quite looking forward to this one.

Matured in European oak butts, this has a great deep nose with notes of honey, stone fruit and creme brûlée, intertwined with coastal notes of sea-salt, minerals and damp rock. The palate had a nice connection with waxy honeycomb, creamy rich saline custard, caramelised sugars and ashy char. I really enjoyed this.

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Cladach

Cladach – Gaelic for coastline or shoreline – is a blended malt that runs with the coastal theme by including whisky only from Diageo’s six ‘coastal’ distilleries; Inchgower, Clynelish, Talisker, Oban, Caol Ila and Lagavulin.

I loved the nose on this, initially getting notes of wood-fired custard, sweet salty spice, zest and smoke, all delivered in a rich, fatty buttery way. The palate completely caught my by surprise though, delivering a big peaty whack, with a tangy saline youthfulness and loads of maritime notes.

Caol Ila 35 year old

It’s impossible to not get excited at the prospect of tasting a 35 year old Islay whisky. In previous years, the ‘old Islay’ whisky featured in the annual Special Releases collection was always from the now-closed (but soon to be re-opened) Port Ellen distillery. With stocks ever-dwindling and prices soaring, it seems as though Diageo are holding onto what they’ve got and will be releasing them via other avenues. That’s not bad news though, as this year it has opened the door for this well-aged example from Caol Ila.

I’ve had the pleasure of trying a few 30+ year old Caol Ilas and they’ve all been stunning. This bottle was no exceptions, offering a mature nose, notes of pine resin, waxy apples, freshly malted barely, distant peat, aniseed and brine. The palate was oily and rich, delivering waxy fruit, stone fruit, saline, spicy sugared nuts and an aromatic menthol eucalypt notes.

On their own, the notes sound bizarre, but the layers, depth and integration of flavour made this something very special in my mind.

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Diageo Special Releases collection – available now 

The full Diageo Special Release collection consists of the following bottles, available in Australia now:

  • Caol Ila ‘unpeated’ 15 year old – $179.99
  • Caol Ila 35 year old – $1,249.99
  • Carsebridge 48 year old (grain whisky) – $1,349.99
  • Cladach (coastal blend) – $249.99
  • Inchgower 27 year old – $499.99
  • Lagavulin 12 year old – $179.99
  • Oban 21 year old – $824.99
  • Pittyvaich 28 year old – $499.99
  • The Singleton of Glen Ord 14 year old – $179.99
  • Talisker 8 year old  – $129.99

Thanks as always to Diageo Australia for the invite and the opportunity to taste these special releases.

Sullivan’s Cove x Whisky & Alement

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When these two get together, you know you’re in for something good

It’s our national day of celebration today – Australia Day – so I can think of no better day to post an article that celebrates an Australian whisky, and the fantastic people and bar that brought it to us.

If I had to pick a defining moment for Australian whisky in the last, say, ten years, one clear event comes to mind. It was when Sullivan’s Cove won the accolade as 2014’s ‘world’s best single malt’ in the World Whisky Awards competition. It was the moment the catapulted Australian whisky from being a thing that local whisky fans knew about, to a thing that everyone knew about. Articles started appearing in mainstream news, colleagues at work started asking if I’d tasted ‘the best whisky in the world’, and people who’d never even tried whisky – let alone an Australian whisky – started asking where they could get their hands on a bottle. It was a real zero to hero moment.

Sullivan's Cove Whisky and Alement

Just as Sullivan’s Cove played a pivotal role in catapulting Australian whisky into the mainstream, I’d argue that a certain Melbourne institution has played an equally sizeable one in defining the whisky-appreciation culture in Australia and really bringing it to life. That institution is Melbourne’s Whisky and Alement.

Whisky + Alement

Since opening their doors back in 2010 (originally known as Chez Regine), Whisky and Alement have quietly gone from strength to strength. With their whisky shelves overflowing back in 2013, they felt there was enough momentum and interest in whisky to take the leap and pigeon-hole themselves as a whisky bar. It made them unique and that gamble – along with loads of hard work – has paid off. It paved the way for Whisky and Alement as a bar, but also provided a place where they could educate a whole new wave of people who didn’t yet know they were whisky lovers.

Following on from their popular and educational Introduction to Whisky classes, the team started hosting The Story of Whisky: From old to new world’. Among plenty of other aspects, the story of whisky touches on the significance of single casks, but also explores the importance of blending and the notion that blends can produce something greater than the sum of their individual parts. And what better way to illustrate that to an audience than with your very own ‘blended’ whisky. And that’s exactly what W+A did with this Sullivan’s Cove collaboration.

A collaboration with Sullivan’s Cove

What you see here is quite a significant bottle. Julian White – one of Whisky and Alement’s owners – pitched this collaboration idea directly to Sulivan’s Cove Managing Director, Adam Sable. He tells me that it wasn’t just a case of ‘hey, it would be cool if we had our own bottle’, but rather he wanted to produce something with ‘purpose’. The ‘purpose’ was to help consumers understand that as unique and interesting as single cask whisky can be, they’re not always the complete package, so don’t automatically discount something that’s been ‘blended’ or diluted as being inferior. From my own experience, when done right, blends can definitely deliver something quite extraordinary. 

Sullivan's Cove Whisky and Alement

Adam was clearly on-board with the idea and a short while later Julian found himself at Sullivan’s Cove, surrounded by a host of un-marked sample bottles that gave nothing away as to their contents. The task – to put together a bespoke blend that met the brief, and could be proudly used in their masterclasses. After more than five hours of sampling, blending, nosing and sampling, Jules tells me that palate fatigue had well and truly set in, so after landing on something he thought might meet the brief, he called it a day. Returning fresh the next morning, a re-taste confirmed he was on the money, and this bottle was locked in.

What’s in the bottle?

Now it was time to find out what he’d actually blended and it’s a pretty bloody interesting one.

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Unbeknownst to Julian at the time, one of the casks he’d selected was HH042, which turned out to be Sullivan’s Cove’s oldest cask of whisky at 18 years of age, which clocked in at a staggering 76.7% ABV. The second component he landed on was TD0225, a ~10 year old French Oak tawny port cask at 69.6% ABV affectionately known as ‘Stubbs’, as it was rather short and stumpy after being re-coopered down to 180-190L. The idea of a blend clocking in at 70%+ ABV is a lot of fun, but doesn’t really make for the greatest drinking experience, so this was very sensibly brought down to 50.3% ABV, a perfect strength in my opinion.

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On the nose it’s thick, warming and comforting. A slathering of honey on hot buttered-toast, some dry oily grassy notes (like dried Australian native plant leaves), vanilla custard, those home-made chewy coconut biscuits and a some caramel fudge. 

On the palate it’s oily and textural, but without the distraction of a big alcohol whack. An amazing connection with the nose (which I personally love) with a good dose of thick honey, caramel pecan pie, pastry crusts and some dried fruit mix. The finish presents gentle baking spice with a slight eucalypt-menthol note.

I’m very much a sucker for single cask whiskies and the variability and fun they bring. But are they often a complete package? Are they always technically poised? Rarely. This on the other hand is. I’ve tasted quite a few Australian whiskies – not a huge number, but quite a few – and this is one of the very best I’ve come across. It nails the brief and is simply great whisky.

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Wherever in the world you’re reading this from – if you ever happen to find yourself in Melbourne, Australia, you should do yourself a favour and pay a visit to Whisky and Alement, or their sister venue upstairs, The Melbourne Whisky Room. And if you’re somewhat more local, full details on their great classes can be found here. I’m not sure if this bottle is currently on the bar to taste, but if you do ever get the chance, move it to the top of your list – I’m quite confident you won’t regret it.