Experts Crown Talisker The Worlds Best Single Malt

April 2007

Talisker 18 Year Old is World's Best Single Malt Whiskey, say Experts

Talisker 18 year old was declared the world's Best Single Malt Whisky by a panel of whisky experts yesterday in Glasgow.

The famous single malt whisky distilled on the remote island of Skye emerged as overall winner in the World Whiskies Awards, who announced their results after three rounds of blind tasting by independent whisky experts. Chaired by whisky expert Dave Broom, the World Whiskies Awards are organized by Whisky Magazine, the leading specialist publication on world whiskies.

One judge commented: "Whisky doesn't get much finer than this".

In the latest World Whiskies Awards rankings, Talisker 18 year old was also declared Best Island (non-Islay) single malt whisky. The award for Best Islay (peated) single malt whisky went to another Classic Malts Selection™ single malt whisky, Lagavulin™ Distillers Edition.

Among the sub-category winners, Talisker 10 year old was awarded Best Island (non-Islay) single malt whisky under 12 Years Old. Caol Ila™ 8 year old was declared Best Islay (unpeated) single malt whisky under 12 Years Old.

This latest accolade follows last year’s announcement that the International Wine & Spirit Competition had awarded Talisker 18 year old the Trophy for the Single Malt Scotch Whisky over 15 years old.

Talisker™The distillery was built in 1830 by Hugh and Kenneth MacAskill, beside Loch Harport. The name comes from the Norse, “Thalas Gair”, meaning "Sloping Rock". The whisky was already famous by 1880 as "The king o'drinks..." (R. L. Stevenson). The 10 year old expression of Talisker is the most award winning single malt in its class. It is the only single malt Scotch Whisky made on the island of Skye. Talisker forms part of the Classic Malts Selection - see www.malts.com. The 18 year old expression was added to the Talisker family in 2004.

Judges comments include:

"Elegant with fascinating balance between smoke and subtle sweet fruit. Ever changing in the glass and on the palate. Gentle waves of flavour, superb balance and a classic peppery finish. Seamless." Dave Broom

"Baked orange pudding sprinkled with cinnamon, pomanders and a trace of manila envelope. A silky mouth feel and develops into richer orange marmalade with burnt edges" Annabel Meikle

"Toffee and rich peat smoke on the nose. The alcohol bite on the palate gives way to rich sweet peat smoke, some sea notes and plenty of peppery spice. Nicely rounded and complete. Some wood, too, suggesting its age. Like chewing honeycomb and smoky bacon at the same time. Long, spicy and peaty finish. Whisky doesn’t get much finer than this." Dominic Roskrow

"Warm, rich and attractive. Leather, pipe-tobacco, sweet sherry and polished oak on the nose, followed by a good creamy texture and a warming finish. A very attractive dram." Keir Sword

Source: Diageo

Vijay Mallya Finally Buys Whyte & Mackay

March 2007

After months of speculation and acres of reportage, liquor baron Vijay Mallya is acquiring the Glasgow based scotch maker Whyte & Mackay. A K Ravi Nedungadi, United Breweries Group chief financial officer, told DNA Money, "Yes, we will close the deal in some days". Mallya will be buying out the Scottish whisky firm in an all-cash deal, the valuation of which has been a contentious issue for both the buyer and the seller since months.

The due-diligence is over, and we have pretty much arrived at a price. We cannot disclose it now due to confidentiality clauses in the deal. Also, the figure keeps moving, said Nedungadi. Whatever be the valuation (reported at around 550 million/Rs.4600 Crores), Nedungadi said more than half would be for W&M's inventory of scotch. Currently, UB imports 12 million litres of scotch to meet its blending requirements. Besides the scotch inventory, Mallya would also be getting the Scottish firm's manufacturing assets and brands which include Whyte & Mackay scotch whisky, Dalmore Single Highland Malt, Vladivar vodka and Jura single malt.

Mallya Closing In On The Whyte & Mackay Deal

February 2007

The protracted takeover of Whyte & Mackay appeared to be drawing to a close last night after reports that a price had been agreed for the Glasgow-based company. Vijay Mallya, the Indian billionaire who has been in negotiations to buy the company for several months, is understood to have raised his offer to around £550m, a price acceptable to Whyte & Mackay's boss, Vivian Imerman. Mallya initially offered £475m for the firm in November, a price that was a long way off Imerman's value of £600m.

Imerman declined to comment, saying that he was in hospital undergoing a minor operation. But Mallya told Scotland on Sunday that the gap between the two parties had narrowed. He said: "Negotiations on Whyte & Mackay continue in a positive sense. Progress is being made and the gap between the previous positions of both parties is narrowing." A final deal will be subject to a process of due diligence, but it is believed it could be wrapped up by the end of March.

By acquiring Whyte & Mackay, which owns Isle of Jura single malt and Dalmore Scotch, Mallya would have two premium Scotch brands that could be distributed through his UB Group in India. He also wants to buy a UK distiller to use its distribution network to sell his whiskies in Europe.

Source: Scotland On Sunday

The Difference Between Scotch, Irish, Rye and Bourbon Whiskies

Scotch whisky is whisky which has been distilled and matured in Scotland. Irish whiskey means whiskey distilled and matured in Ireland. Whisky is distilled in Scotland from malted barley in pot stills and from malted and unmalted barley or other cereals in patent stills. The well-known brands of Scotch whisky are blends of a number of pot still and patent still whiskies. Irish whiskey distillers tend to favour three distillations rather than two, as is
general in Scotland in the case of pot still whiskies, and the range of cereals used is wider.

As regards Bourbon whiskey, the United States regulations provide:

• That Bourbon whiskey must be produced from a mash of not less than 51% corn grain.
• That the word Bourbon shall not be used to describe any whiskey or whiskey-based distilled spirits not produced in the United States.

Rye whiskey is produced both in the United States and Canada but the name has no geographical significance. In the United States, rye whiskey by definition must be produced from a grain mash of which not less than 51% is rye grain.

In Canada, there is no similar restriction. The relevant Canadian regulation states:
Canadian Whisky (Canadian Rye Whisky, Rye Whisky) shall be whisky distilled in Canada, and shall possess the aroma, taste and character generally attributed to Canadian Whisky. Canadian whisky is in fact often referred to simply as rye whisky or rye.

The Legal Definition Of Scotch Whisky

Scotch whisky has been defined in United Kingdom (UK) law since 1909 and recognised in European Community legislation since 1989. The current UK legislation relating specifically to Scotch whisky is The Scotch Whisky Act 1988 and the Orders made under it, which came into effect in June 1990 and superseded that part of the Finance Act 1969, as subsequently amended, defining Scotch whisky. For the purposes of The Scotch Whisky Act 1988 "Scotch Whisky" means whisky:

• Which has been produced at a distillery in Scotland from water and malted barley (to which only whole grains of other cereals may be added) all of which have been: (a) processed at that distillery into a mash (b) converted to a fermentable substrate only by endogenous enzyme systems and (c) fermented only by the addition of yeast.
• Which has been distilled at an alcoholic strength by volume of less than 94.8 per cent so that the distillate has an aroma and taste derived from the raw materials used in, and the method of, its production.
• Which has been matured in an excise warehouse in Scotland in oak casks of a capacity not exceeding 700 litres, the period of that maturation being not less than 3 years.
• Which retains the colour, aroma and taste derived from the raw materials used in, and the method of, its production and maturation, and to which no substance other than water and spirit caramel has been added.

The Scotch Whisky Act 1988 prohibits inter alia the production in Scotland of whisky other than Scotch whisky. The Scotch Whisky Act 1988 and The European Spirits Definition Regulation both specify a minimum alcoholic strength of 40 per cent by volume, which applies to all Scotch whisky bottled and/or put up for sale within or exported from the EU.

Size, Strength & Quantity

Sizes of casks used for bulk production and their respective capacities.
Butt Casks : 500 Litres
Hogshead Casks : 250-305 Litres
American Barrel Casks : 173-191 Litres
Quarter Casks : 127- 159 Litres
Octave Casks : 45-68 Litres

Comparison of British and European alcohol by volume strengths to US proof strength.
50% ABV = 100° Proof
43% ABV = 86° Proof
40% ABV = 80° Proof

Liquid content of the bottles most commonly used for Scotch whisky sales.
Bottle = 70cl / 700ml
Half-bottle = 35cl / 350ml
Miniature = 5cl / 50ml

Loch Dhu 10 Year Old

Labelled "The Black Whisky", this 10-year-old expression is distilled in Mannochmore Distillery, which lies in the heart of Scotland's "Speyside" region. Loch Dhu, which means "Black Lake" in Gaelic, is aged in special, double-charred oak casks to create a whisky as black as night - though it's not so much black as the color of an equal mixture of espresso and blood.

The nose is unique, unexpressive, slight hints of burnt carmel and ashes. The palate is blatantly offensive. There is something unmistakably wrong with it. It tastes like cigar ashes mixed with vodka and licorice. The only nice note is in the background, with some hints of dark chocolate covered espresso beans. But it's the finish that really gets you, actually making me recoil, grimace, and frantically shake my head. It's nauseating. It tastes spoiled. It's unbelivable that it was commercially marketed. One understands at once where the rumor of "a production accident at Mannochmore" came from. If you ever have tasted, say, an old dumpy Cadenhead that sat with a faulty cork for twenty years on a hot, dusty shelf, you know what you are in for. It tastes ruined in the bottle, contaminated.

The Mannochmore Distillery was built in 1971 on the same 25 acre (10 hectare) site as the older Glenlossie (1876). Mannochmore does not utilise a purifier between the lyne arm and condenser. Mothballed in 1985, but re-opened in 1989. It takes its water from the the Bardon Burn high up on Mannochmore hills. Not often available as a single malt, Mannochmore is important to a number of blends, including Haig.

Tasting Notes

REGION: Speyside.
COOUR: Black.
NOSE: Unique - but not very good. Hints of burnt caramel and ashes.
PALATE: Awful! Smoke and ashes. Hints of liquorice and dark chocolate covered espresso beans. Filthy aftertaste.
BODY: ?
FINISH: Nauseating, contaminated.
ABV: 40%

Whiskyfun.com's Pete & Jack

PETE McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK - October 31, 2005

Whisky or Whiskey?

There has always been a a big issue over the spelling - whisky or whiskey. People have their own interpretations on the usage - albeit not a single person will ever be able to correctly explain why. Wikipedia has a definitive explaination... read on.

Whisky comes from the Gaelic uisce/uisge beatha meaning "water of life". The name itself may have originally derived from the Scandinavian aquavit; although it may also be modelled on the Latin phrase aqua vitae or the early name for brandy, aqua de vite, meaning "water of the vine".

The spelling whisky (plural whiskies) is generally used for whiskies distilled in Scotland, Wales, Canada, and Japan, while whiskey is used for the spirits distilled in Ireland. A 1968 directive of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) specifies "whisky" as the official U.S. spelling, but allows labelling as "whiskey" in deference to tradition; most U.S. producers still use the latter spelling.

In the late Victorian era, Irish whiskey was the world's whiskey of choice. Of the Irish whiskies, Dublin whiskies were regarded as the grands crus of whiskeys. In order to differentiate Dublin whiskey from other whiskies, the Dublin distilleries adopted the spelling "whiskey". The other Irish distilleries eventually followed suit. The last Irish "whisky" was Paddy, which adopted the "e" in 1966.

A mnemonic used to remember which spelling is used is that "Ireland" and "United States" have at least one "e" in their names, while "Scotland", "Canada" and "Japan" do not.

India: Watering Down Spirit Import Duties

March 2007 : Relief as India hints at watering down spirit import duties

GAVIN Hewitt, chief executive of the Scotch Whisky Association, will return from India sniffing victory this week over the punitive tariffs situation after the country's finance minister said that he wants to find an amicable solution.

In a humiliating climbdown, minister for commerce Kamal Nath, said that India is considering cutting import duties on wine and spirits to avoid having the issue decided by the World Trade Organisation.
Speaking from New Delhi after a series of meetings with Hewitt and delegates from the EU, Nath said: "This is being discussed at the highest level in the government. India doesn't want to take it to the dispute settlement level" at the WTO.

The breakthrough comes just days after the Indian government shocked the Scotch whisky industry by not cutting tariffs in its budget. At the very least, executives were expecting some concession on a system which subjects all imported spirits to an additional duty of between 25% and 550%.
Hewitt flew out a week ago to tell Nath that the budget was the last opportunity for the matter to be resolved amicably.

His case was strengthened as the US administration waded in, officially requesting formal WTO consultations with India.

Deborah Lamb, senior vice-president for international trade at the Distilled Spirits Council, said: "It is time for India to eliminate its WTO-incompatible practices and dismantle the web of additional duties and charges that unfairly blocks imports of spirits and wine."

But last night sources close to the SWA said that although they welcome Nath's comments they will not rest until the tariffs have been removed. They are now looking for a favourable WTO ruling within 15 months.
In the next few weeks Peter Mandelson's trade department at the European Commission will notify the WTO that cuts have not been forthcoming and will request the formation of a panel to look at the issue.

An SWA spokesman said: "Both the EU and USA have made it clear this week that vague hints of possible future change are insufficient. These have been heard before. India must act quickly to reform its discriminatory tax system or face a WTO panel in the coming weeks. This position has been strongly backed by the SWA in its own meetings with the Indian Ministries of Commerce and Finance."

Despite all the hype surrounding potentially enormous emerging markets in South America and the Far East, they still pale into insignificance compared with that of India. A snapshot of emerging markets across the world shows that, even with India's exorbitant tariff barriers, the country still buys more Scotch whisky than Russia, China, Poland or Turkey.

The latest export figures from the SWA show that in 2004 only 700,000 cases were shipped to China, 600,000 to Russia and Turkey and just 200,000 to Poland. This compares to one million cases sent to India.

Source: Scotland On Sunday, March 11, 2007

Whiskyfun.com's Pete & Jack

PETE McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK - November 22, 2005