Tag Archives: Whisky

The return of WHISKYdotcoza

Posted on 30 May 2011 by | 1 comment

Since going live we’ve had some technical glitches that required us to take the site off-line.  We had always anticipated certain teething issues, but had been hoping to resolve these without interrupting operations.  The difficulties we encountered were primarily to do with our credit card platform, and as much as we’d like to be giving whisky away to for free (hey we’re all part of the great whisky brotherhood), we had heard somewhere that in business it’s a fairly important to get paid, hence the more dramatic measures.  If you’ve been trying to access the site in the past week, a big thanks for your patience and for bearing with us.  I guarantee you that it will have been worth it.

The return to live status was also delayed because we were adding a special feature to the site – a Father’s Day offer courtesy of Bell’s.  The guys at Bell’s have kindly allowed us to extend the offer to readers of Words on Whisky, and to the fledgling customer base of WHISKYdotcoza.  The promotion is specific to Bell’s Special Reserve, the blended malt in the Bell’s portfolio, which I recently had the opportunity to taste (the report is here), and it includes a set of custom engraved tumblers and delivery to anywhere in SA, both gratis.  If you’re keen to partake simply click here and follow the instructions given.  I’d also like to encourage you to visit the Bell’s website and join the Bell’s Fraternity of Connoisseurs so that their team can keep you informed about future offers and events.

Bell's Father's Day promotion at WHISKYdotcoza

Please try the site and let us know your thoughts about it.  We are committed to becoming the country’s premier whisky e-tailer, and we’re very serious about what potential customers think and feel about it.  We can’t promise to implement all the feedback, but we will read and consider each and every single suggestion.

So, as we face a brave new week, may the dram be with you.

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WHISKYdotcoza live

Posted on 21 May 2011 by | 2 comments

Almost a year after the initiation of the project, and after many months of increasingly intense preparation WHISKYdotcoza is now up and running.  Phew!  Even as I’m breathing this sigh of relief I know that this is actually only the start of the journey.  It’s a milestone nonetheless.

Live and dangerous!

It all began back in 2002 when I secured the domain whisky.co.za, with what was then the very vague intention of creating a whisky e-tailer.  The market simply wasn’t ready at the time (neither was I), but the dynamics have changed dramatically since.  Firstly whisky consumption has grown steadily – in 2010 South Africa was effectively the 4th largest export market for Scotch whisky worldwide (Singapore was actually 4th but I reckon it’s just a thoroughfare, so doesn’t really count) buying £168 million worth.   In 2005, never mind 2002, SA wasn’t even in the top 10.  Secondly internet usage and the incidence of online shopping are in an exponential growth phase.  An estimated 6 million South Africans have access, of which 51% are believed to be shopping online.  We’re still well behind the first world, 10-15% of our population is online compared to 90%+ in a country like Denmark, but we’re catching up quickly.  The e-commerce era has arrived, and I believe whisky is the type of product that’s ideally poised to get on board.  It’s popular, it’s credibly branded, there are no sizing/fit issues, and it’s high value and compact so delivery is cost-effective.

Having said that, it’s going to be a slow burn.  Although there are other online whisky shops operating in the local market, it’s by and large an unfamiliar format; people here are unaccustomed to using this channel to purchase their whisky.  However, I’m confident that the benefits will speak for themselves, and that conversion will follow awareness.

There are two primary reasons why people are increasingly turning to e-commerce in general – because they can shop whenever they want (i.e. it’s convenient), and because they can make purchase decisions that are better thought-out than they would be in the bricks and mortar world.   On the internet, you have an endless amount of information at your fingertips.  You can quickly and easily compare pricing and specifications, and dig into product details – in short ensure that you get exactly what you want for the best possible price.  Time is a valuable.  Why would busy professionals want to spend 2 hours of their Saturday schlepping to Makro and back, when they can buy from us at similar prices, get some decent advice to guide their purchases, and have 3-4 bottles delivered for between R42 and R50 (in the major cities), the cost of their petrol alone?  Well, that’s the theory anyhow.

The many advantages of convenience

We’ve set out to create an e-tailer that will be a benchmark not only locally but internationally.  We can’t offer the same variety as international e-tailers such as Whisky Exchange and Master of Malt, that’s simply not possible here, but in aspects of functionality, usability, and relevance, we think we’ve on our way to matching, and in certain aspects exceeding, these titans.

Thanks for indulging my sales pitch.  I’m not going to make a habit of it on this blog.   As I recently mentioned to fellow local whisky blogger I’m 100% committed to offering an independent and impartial viewpoint on all things whisky, but when it comes to the retail aspect, well, I’m going to have to make an exception, declared upfront.

One last thing – I have a favour to ask.  The site is complex, and despite the talent of our incredibly hardworking and dedicated web designers (Milk), it’s inevitable that there will be issues.  I’d be grateful if you could give us your thoughts, feedback and suggestions.

Thanks again, enjoy the weekend, and may the dram be with you.

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Johnnie Walker at the Taste Festival

Posted on 10 May 2011 by | 1 comment

I attended the Taste Festival over the weekend, courtesy of tickets from my friends at Liquidity. I ambled over to their stall on arrival to say thank you, and sampled their Pyrat rum (part of the Patron stable) whilst I was there. I’m a big fan of rum and this one did not disappoint. With its bold orange taste it’s a great option, indeed one of the very few options, if you’re looking for an aged rum in SA.

Classy Pyrat Rum advertising

The Festival itself was well put together and populated by an interesting variety of stalls, mostly restaurants, but also wineries, bars, and an assorted mix of food and beverage brands. As I mentioned I didn’t pay for my tickets, but I would have been mightily disappointed if I had. It seems that all the entrance fee got you was the opportunity to spend more money. It certainly didn’t seem to have subsidised what was on offer. Tasters from the various restaurants were priced at between R20 to R40, and ranged from ok-fair-enough deals, such as Savour’s Salmon carpaccio and Solms Delta’s Cajun seafood, to ludicrously bad value, witness Nobu’s microscopic yellowtail sashimi. I once had the dubious pleasure of dropping 200 large (as in Sterling) on supper at Nobu, and had to stop at a Burger King on my way home to fill the gap, so no surprise there.

A message then to the organisers: come on guys, we like what you’re doing, but don’t take the piss.

Ok, now that that’s out of the way, to the serious business i.e. whisky, of which there wasn’t much to be found at the festival. I kept looking however, kept walking if you will, and my efforts were rewarded. I came upon the Johnnie Walker (JW) stall, beckoning to me like an oasis in the desert…and I needed no second invitation.

A few facts about JW– it’s the best-selling whisky in the world, it’s part of the Diageo stable, and its product philosophy is “Big Flavours”. I’ve pondered the latter often. For marketing purposes it’s great positioning. Whisky is all about flavour, so what could be more appealing than big flavours. Bigger is better after all.

At this stage it might be worth having a quick aside on the topic of chill filtration. Chill filtration is a process that takes place before bottling in which whisky is cooled and passed through a fine mesh filter, trapping and removing certain congeners (fatty acids and oily compounds) that tend to precipitate at lower temperatures. The finer the filter and the more extreme the cooling, the greater the amount of congeners removed. This is done for aesthetic purposes, so that the whisky does not appear hazy, especially when ice is added. However these congeners are a significant contributor to flavour, so many whisky-makers choose not to chill-filter their whiskies, labelling them “non-chill filtered”.  The bottom line is that chill filtering extracts flavour from the whisky.

Ok, back to JW. My question is – does the “Big Flavours” philosophy represent the reality of the product or is it just a line fed to consumers? Well, the range of JW’s is chill filtered. In fact if my industry sources are to be believed, Diageo has a particularly aggressive approach to chill filtering, using fine filters, and low (-4°C) temperatures. I can’t definitively confirm if this is true either generally or specifically for JW, but for the sake of conjecture let’s assume that it is. What does this say about the commitment to “Big Flavours “? Isn’t the removal of flavour at odds with such a claim? Perhaps “Style over Substance” would be more accurate?

I’m being harsh of course. Almost all blended whiskies are chill filtered, at least to some extent, so this is standard practice. And the JW range is superb and flavourful to a man. You don’t get to the top without having the chops. Nevertheless, food for thought…

The tasting itself was exceptional; short of the Glenmorangie Signet sonic tasting, probably one of the best I’ve experienced. The hosts were knowledgeable, the props, lit display cabinets containing flavour cues, were perfectly atmospheric, and the whiskies, as I mentioned, were superb. JW Red is not amongst my preferred whiskies – the Talisker inspired salty-smoky flavour, whilst interesting, is a bit abrasive for me – but Black and Green, the other variants showcased at the tasting, are standouts.

On that note – keep reading (my blog), keeping drinking (responsibly) and keep well.

Black

Red

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FAIL

Posted on 3 May 2011 by | 2 comments

Yesterday I came out firing like an American soldier in a Pakistani mansion.  Now, here I am eating a public slice of humble pie.  I’m not sure where that expression comes from because pie tastes good and this doesn’t.

Anyhow, here it goes.  Despite my apology yesterday I still thought that I was somewhat right.  I have now established beyond a doubt that I was wrong.  Very wrong.  My government will be happy about this – she reckons that she doesn’t hear me say it often.

In my defence the SWA briefing was somewhat unclear, nay absent, on the point – I have their DVD at hand to prove it.  I suspect that they may have gone over to the Dark Side after the whole Glen Breton saga.  But I won’t lie, it’s a paltry defence.  I’ll take my stripes.

This to conclude the Regional GI storm in a teacup:

Dear Patrick

Campbell has passed on your enquiry about regional geographical indications to me.

Speyside Scotch Whiskies are a sub-set of Highland Scotch Whiskies. That has been the traditional practice since at least 1909, and the definitions of the regions in The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 have not changed that.

A Scotch Whisky qualifies as “Highland” if it is distilled north of “the line dividing the Highland region from the Lowland region”. All Speyside Scotch Whiskies therefore qualify both as “Highland” and as “Speyside”. It is a matter for the distiller which description is used.

Kindest regards

Magnus Cormack
Senior Legal Adviser
Legal Affairs Department
Scotch Whisky Association

As Bart Simpson would say Ay Caramba.

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Glenfarclas again

Posted on 2 May 2011 by | 6 comments

I mentioned some time ago that I was a language purist – see the post Whisky or Whiskey. At times I can also be a hair splitter. Recently I commented, on a post by fellow whisky blogger G-LO, that Glenfarclas would probably be forced to change their labels in the near future, due to a particular stipulation in the recent Scotch Whisky Regulations of 2009.

I came across this knowledge because late last year I attended a briefing on the regulations hosted by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA). With South Africa having in 2009 become effectively the 4th largest export market for Scotch worldwide (Singapore was actually 4th, but I think we can assume that they’re just redistributing), these guys are paying attention to us down here.

Specifically I’m referring to a point related to Geographical Indication. The SWA have defined 5 official Scotch whisky regions: Speyside, Highlands, Lowlands, Islay, and Campbeltown. No sub-regions, no “Islands”, and none of the other deviations that have evolved over the years. Furthermore they have unequivocally stated that in order to claim regional provenance a whisky must be “wholly distilled” in that region. Maturation it seems can take place anywhere in Scotland.

This brings us to Glenfarclas, which is located in Speyside, near a town with the wonderfully Scottish sounding name of Ballindalloch. Yet its label proclaims it to be a Highlands whisky.

Hence I logically assumed that it would need to change. Concerned however about my journalistic integrity I decided to write to Glenfarclas to verify my assumption. G-LO, apologies, it seems that I’m wrong. Here’s the reply from George Grant of the Glenfarclas Grants:

Patrick,

Thank you for your email.

Simplest way to explain, all Speyside whiskies are Highland Whiskies, but not all Highland Whiskies are Speyside. In the small print on our labels we do put Speyside. Macallan also does the same put Highland rather than Speyside. The Speyside region is a relatively new region. And Glenfarclas has been a Highland Whisky for over 100 years before the Speyside region came about. Hope this helps.

Best regards,

George Grant

It was very kind of him to respond to my nit-picking. I was indeed aware that Speyside had previously been considered a sub-region of the Highlands, but post-2009 it seems to me that this officially no longer applies. Perhaps the fine print resolves the issue…I don’t have sight of the detail of the regulations so can’t comment definitively. But fine print or not, the whisky is still claiming Highlands origin, despite being distilled  in Speyside, and from a broad common-sense point of view this seems to be contrary to the spirit of the regulations. I wrote to the SWA to get their views on the matter, and I’ll let you know if they bother to respond.

George’s response also raises the issue of whether these regulations are fair or not. If indeed my interpretation is correct, why should Glenfarclas be forced to change a claim that they’ve legitimately made for over 100 years? More importantly does any of this make much of a difference. There is so much variety within the regions, that they are no longer (if they ever were) a consistently reliable guide to flavour. Even relatively homogenous regions such as Islay have startling exceptions (witness the unpeated Bunnahabhain). They are peripheral, more relevant to the culture of whisky than the product itself.

Fascinating nonetheless. I love this stuff!

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Glenfarclas tasting and independent bottlings

Posted on 27 April 2011 by | 2 comments

I was privileged during the weekend to be invited by a good mate to taste a very special whisky; special because it was intrinsically so, and also because it’s a vintage dating from the year in which his late brother was born.  We drank a toast in remembrance – rest in peace Warren.

The whisky in question was a Douglas Laing independent bottling of Glenfarclas that had been distilled in 1967.  It’s part of their Old Malt Cask range, comprising uniquely of single casks all bottled non-chill filtered at 50% abv (sometimes referred to as “the golden strength”).   They have their reasons but it seems restrictive to me.  What would happen if the cask strength for a particular older cask was below 50%?  Worrying, but I only let this view into the abyss deter me momentarily.

Malt that's more mature than me

This is a whisky that was wholly matured in sherry casks, so I was expecting resinous, raisiny, leathery, tannic flavours, and I was conscious that at 42 years old it might be overly oaked.  It turned out to be a tight, well-integrated, balanced whisky, purposeful and sure of itself, and without any excessive wood influence.   Over and above I also identified some nutty aromas, restrained sweetness, and a bit of spice on the palate and finish.  The only drawback was that I had anticipated something more vivid.  The cultivation of tasting ability is a progressive exercise and I’ll admit that mine is still a work in progress, so I may well miss some subtle flavours, simply through lack of experience and education.   I’m not going to get too hung up about it – I don’t want to transform myself into either an anorak or a Hilton old boy (the dark sides of the dram) – so I’ll just trust my instincts:  good, even great whisky, made even better by the company in which I enjoyed it, but not animate enough to be spectacular.

This experience also prompted me to reflect on the whole concept of independent bottling, which I think is fascinating.   Typically an independent bottler would secure new-make spirit from a distillery, mature the spirit themselves, and then release a single-malt under both its name and that of the distillery.  Duncan Taylor, and Gordon and Macphail are two such well known examples.  Some bottlers do not associate their single malts with the distillery of origin, either on the insistence of the distillery (to prevent dilution of their brand name) where this has sway, or so as not to be committed to a specific source of supply.  In certain circles these are known as bastard malts, but I find this descriptor unfairly disparaging.  I’ve tasted some that are simply magnificent.  Some distilleries have employed practices such a teaspooning as a deterrent.  It sounds kinky but disappointingly isn’t.  The most famous practitioner is Glenmorangie, reputed to add a teaspoon of Glen Moray to spirit that they sold to blenders – under the name “Westport” – to prevent it from reappearing later as independent bottlings under the Glenmorangie name.  Curiously I’ve seen Westport labelled as a single malt, and not a blended/vatted/pure malt, so either someone is taking a chance, no-one is too bothered about the teaspoon, or the story is a myth.

Completely unrelated

Fascinating indeed.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – whisky appeals to me because of its integrity, its complexity and its variety, and independent bottlings really contribute to that variety.  They allow for a wide range of different products to be crafted from the same new make spirit.  Unfortunately availability is scarce in SA – the upper end of the market is not mature enough, and the process for bringing new liquor into the country is a contortion of epic proportions.  These add up to be a roadblock for niche products.  There’s hope however: SA is today the 5th largest export market for Scotch whisky (4th if you don’t count Singapore), and the premium segment continues to grow.  Hopefully the dynamics will change as we continue to leap forward.

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Asoka bar, restaurant and lounge

Posted on 15 April 2011 by | 2 comments

This is the first in what will be a series of restaurant and bar reviews.  I like chowing down as much as if not more than the next guy, I like whisky, and I like writing, so connect the dots and it seems like my career as a critic was written in the stars…or maybe just in the script of delusions that play inside my head.  Less grandiose but probably closer to the truth.  Whichever way it matters not.   The cuisine of course will feature along with ambience, décor, clientele and all those other factors that attract people to such venues, but for the purposes of my reviews they’ll be satellites revolving around the whisky sun.

Asoka is the old Dharma Lounge – I think it was somewhat pretentiously called Asoka Son of Dharma for a time – and not much seems to have changed.  The architecture is the same, the décor similar, and the trademark tree still stands in the middle of the lounge; all that was missing was the former kepi-wearing owner, and with it my chance to enquire about the source of the hat.  Damn, I really want one.

Too cool for school

I was there for a function so can’t comment much about the food.  We had platters of chilli-poppers, prawns, calamari, tandoori chicken in pitas, deep fried goat’s cheese, and miniature burgers.  Solid fare, no-one was complaining.  I was quite enchanted however with the delightful drinks menu which includes a long list of cocktails, several with a whiskey base (Mint Julep, Manhattan, Old Fashioned, Sour), a very decent selection of single malts, and unusually for South Africa, a relatively extensive choice of American whiskey: the ubiquitous Jacks of course, but also virtually the entire Buffalo Trace stable, Maker’s Mark, and Woodford Reserve.

I decided to encourage this initiative by opting for a double Maker’s Mark (which had to be repoured after the barman loaded my glass with ice).  This is one of my favourite bourbons, a bourbon for all seasons, and it was delicious as always with its soft, gentle sweet honey palate.  Later, ready for some more pronounced flavours, I switched to Jameson’s Gold Reserve, enjoying the lingering spice and the complex interplay of bourbon, sherry and virgin woods in the whisky.

The impressive bar selection aside, Asoka provides a great ambience in which to comfortably relax and enjoy the golden nectar.  The music is set at just the right volume to promote a vibey atmosphere, but at the same time not inhibit conversation.  Clearly the whole mix must be working, because amongst our fellow patrons were some government power-brokers including Minister of Sport Fikile Mbalula.  Back when he was ANC Youth League President I thought this guy was a prize twat, however my criteria for conferring twatitude have had to be re-evaluated with the emergence of his successor (amandla, Julius, please don’t point the M14’s this way).  I was handing out the mantle far too easily.  By comparison Fikile now seems like a righteous dude.

The new benchmark

I can wholeheartedly recommend Asoka to fellow whisky lovers – just be specific about how you want your whisky served.

Asokas scene-setting tree

Well, the weekend is upon us.  It’ll probably fly by as usual, but let’s remain optimistic.  Until the next time may the dram be with you.

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Royal wedding whisky

Posted on 12 April 2011 by | 2 comments

There is no manner of business it seems that shies away from exploiting a royal wedding.  Memorable highlights so far are the mixed-up mugs (Harry and Kate), and the “condoms of distinction”, appropriately – in every which sense – purple in colour.

Sheaths for a royal sword

Lone English whisky distiller The English Whisky Co., not wanting to be left out, has clambered onto the bandwagon with gusto, with its William & Kate Commemorative Decanter.   I’m sure other whiskies will follow.  In fact experts predict that the wedding will boost the British economy by some £600 million (I read this on the internet so it must be true).  It’s enough to make a groupie out of even hardened royal cynics like myself…if I were British.  I’m not so as things stand I still don’t really give a toss.

Will & Kate whisky

Anyhow, back to the whisky then.  This bit of news brought the English Whisky Co. onto my radar screen, and, its geographical uniqueness aside, there were a few features of its product offering that piqued my attention.

Firstly, it seems to be overpriced.  I realise that distillers such as this one, Penderyn (Welsh), and I guess many of the Continental distillers, don’t have the economies of scale from which the big boys of whisky benefit, but nonetheless I wonder whether they can sustain these price levels if they hope to be anything other than a niched oddity.  Compare their Chapter 6, a 3yo Malt selling at £35, to an “equivalent” Scotch Single Malt such as Glen Grant’s Major’s Reserve at £20.95.  I might pay for the novelty once, but short of it blowing me away, I doubt that I’d come back for more too often.

Secondly, they’re one of the few distillers that sell new-make and young malt spirit i.e. not yet 3 years old, so not able to qualify as whisky.  This is great, even if only for the education.  It allows you to compare the stuff that comes off the still with its progressively aged counterparts and thereby get some great insight into the influence of the wood.  My concern however is the prominence of the word “whisky” in the brand name, which adorns all their products, whisky or not.  Can this not be considered misleading?  The Scotch Whisky Association recently censured a Panamanian company called “Scottish Spirits” that sells whisky…in a can!  Even though their product does not claim to be Scotch, the SWA has come down on them because of the potential for consumer confusion.  Is this not the same thing?

Quality stuff I'm sure...not

This is by no means a criticism of the English Whisky Co. (like a good Islay malt I like to balance peat with sweet).  If they can command the pricing that they do, and if they’ve managed to slip past the SWA then good luck to them.  Until and if I experience otherwise I’ll also assume that they make great whisky, and I look forward to making its acquaintance (unlikely in South Africa unfortunately).  Most creditably though they’ve brought the lost art of whisky distillation back to England and for that alone they deserve warm regard.

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Shackleton whisky replicated

Posted on 8 April 2011 by | Leave a comment

Early readers of this blog may remember the post Ancient Whisky,  which mused on the discovery of the Shackleton whisky.

The whisky has now been analysed and replicated by Whyte & Mackay master blender Richard Paterson, who seems to have done a fine job of it. A representative from Whisky Magazine was at the unveiling and wrote this report.

Paterson had been quoted – when the whisky was first delivered to him for analysis – as saying: “It is an absolute honour to be able to use my experience to analyse this amazing spirit for the benefit of the Trust and the whisky industry”.  There’s no doubt that he deserves plaudits for this remarkable achievement.  I can only imagine the intricacies involved. However I’m struggling at this stage to see the benefits for the wider industry, and I can’t help but feel that W&M’s donation to the Trust doesn’t seem so generous.  The discovery of the whisky, its loan to W&M (which allowed Paterson to do his work), and the massive resultant publicity, from which the imminent sales will benefit to no small measure I’m sure, all derive from the Trust.  5% seems rather measly.  I can’t confess any insight into the accounting but at £100 a pop, I reckon I’m being conservative in assuming that W&M’s unit GP must be about £30.  Why should the Trust’s share be only 16% odd?

Am I being unfair?  Maybe…but the outcome of this whole saga that is most clear to me is that if they sell the 50 000 bottles W&M will haul in a pot load of sterling.  Good luck to them – I’m guess I’m just jealous.

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Chwisgi interview

Posted on 5 April 2011 by | Leave a comment

I was privileged today to be interviewed by fellow whiskyphile Jens Wedin.  Jens hails from Sweden, and runs Chwisgi.com, which he calls an “open social whisky community”.  It’s a great platform for whisky lovers to exchange views on all things whisky.

You can see the interview here.

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