Top Picks

Paul John Edited Impressions

0
0
Original photo provided by Tim Grant and used with permission.

What is it?

Distillery: Paul John
Name: Edited
Make: Indian Single Malt Whisky
Extra Info: The Paul John distillery is situated in Goa, on the west coast of India. Paul John Edited is distilled from a mix of unpeated Indian malt and malt dried with fires fuelled by peat imported from Islay and Aberdeen in Scotland. Approximately 15% of the final whisky uses the peated malt, producing a lightly peated profile for this ex-bourbon cask matured Indian single malt whisky.

Why did I buy it?

I didn't. This is a review of a sample bottle kindly provided by Paul John. I usually only review full-size bottles since I can take my time and drink as much as I need to finalise my impressions. That is more difficult to do with a sample bottle, but I have done my best.

What did I think of it?

Presentation: Paul John whisky has an unusually uniform design language across their entire range. In fact, it can be difficult to distinguish between expressions from a distance, since the label differences are very subtle and the colour of the whisky look very similar. Bottled at 46% ABV.

Appearance: All the whisky in the Paul John range looks the same golden hue to me, but Paul John proudly claim their whisky contains no artificial colouring and are non-chill filtered. I can only assume that some form of distillery wizardry must take place to achieve such a consistent colour across the range.

Aroma: Big leather notes, perhaps some lanolin and charcoal.

Flavour: Thin mouthfeel with a clearly medicinal taste and a little spice.

Finish: Smooth, medium length with a lasting tingle on the tongue.

Would I buy it again?

No, it is not my favourite expression in the Paul John range. I stand by my own impressions but my tasting notes differ quite a lot from some other opinions I have read. Although I found the strong leather nose to be pleasant, it was also rather overpowering, leaving the whisky's aroma a little unbalanced. The flavour tasted like what I would imagine a lightly peated Laphroaig to taste like, so if you like your peated malts with a more medicinal flavour, you will most likely find a lot to enjoy in the Paul John Edited. 

Disclaimer: I do not claim to have the nose and palate of a Master Sommelier, however, I am working to train my senses to better identify whisky aromas and flavours. Consider all my whisky 'Impressions' to be a work in progress and I hope to come back to each of them in the future to see if I notice anything different. Most importantly, I'm not just throwing around random aromas, flavours and adjectives for the hell of it; I am trying really hard to critically describe each whisky I taste - WhiskyDad.

Cooper King Distillery: Making the Old World, New Again

0
0
Inside a disused stable block just north of the historic English city of York, is a space reserved for a shiny copper still unlike any other within 17,000km. Designed and constructed in Tasmania, Australia, this still will soon travel from the opposite side of the world to become an integral piece in Abbie Neilson and Chris Jaume’s Cooper King Distillery; an extraordinary endeavour to undertake considering the amount of copper still manufacturing experience to be found in the UK. So why source a copper still from somewhere that wasn’t even settled by British explorers at the time the first whisky distilleries began to appear in Scotland? Well, to understand that, you need to retrace the steps of not the first settlers but those of Abbie and Chris, who set out for Van Diemen’s Land some 111 years later.

In 2014, Abbie and Chris, a successful scientist and an architect, set out across the seas in search of adventure and a break from the stresses of professional life.
Abbie and Chis on Tasmania's Overland Track.
Their journey led them to the island of Tasmania at the southern tip of Australia, where they visited each of the state’s whisky distilleries at the behest of a whisky blogging friend. At that time, Tasmanian Whisky was just emerging onto the world stage with relatively unknown Sullivan’s Cove Distillery having recently taken out the World’s Best Whisky for their French Oak Cask single malt at the prestigious World Whiskies Awards. The Tasmanian whisky industry was abuzz at the prospect that whisky from their little island could beat the traditional whisky producers at their own game. Who then wouldn’t be caught up in this excitement and think they could perhaps take something of this new world back to the old one?
We fell in love with Tasmania instantly,” says Abbie, “the welcoming people, the rugged landscape and of course the phenomenal food and drink we tasted thanks to the state’s many small-scale producers. 
Our visits to the whisky distilleries in particular, blew us away,” Chris adds, “we were meeting folk with incredible passion, relatively little industry experience, and an infectious Tassie ‘can-do’ attitude. They were approaching the challenge of producing whisky from all angles: we saw all manner of distillery buildings, stills, grains etc being used, and the end results were stunning. We came away from each distillery with a ton of questions which the next distiller would then answer. Though the more we found out, the more we wanted to know. We began to realise that to start a distillery you didn’t necessarily have to have Scottish roots or a £10million bank balance; it could be done on a small scale, on a limited budget, without compromise of flavour. The hands-on production techniques used by these guys, coupled with the limited volumes produced, was yielding some of the best whisky we had ever tasted. 
The seed was sown!” Abbie continues, “we had been whisky fans ever since our first trip to Edinburgh, we both enjoyed a challenge and we loved the thought of working together to craft a delicious spirit for us and others to enjoy. Over the next 18 months while away from home, we undertook training with Dean Jackson and Bill Lark of Redlands and Lark Distillery fame, visited countless other distilleries and tasting events, and wrote up our business plan. We were ready to hit the ground running when we returned to England late 2015. 
Tasmanians are a proud lot, island folk, fiercely independent of the ‘mainland’ but at the same time exceptionally accommodating.

There are few secrets in the Tasmanian whisky industry and everyone knows everyone; often not just on a professional level, but also on a personal one. Being a ‘local’ goes a long way when looking for help to start your own distillery, but that doesn’t mean you can’t become an honorary local if you show the same drive and passion for whisky as the local producers. Bill Lark, affectionately referred to as the Godfather of Tasmanian whisky, recognised the drive and passion in Abbie and Chris and took them under his wing, helping to impart his own knowledge and experience of which they would need plenty when they got back home.
Bill Lark and others in the Tasmanian whisky industry taught us a lot,” Chris revealed. “We learnt never to compromise on flavour, to not be afraid to challenge tradition and to go with our gut instinct. We also learnt the importance of provenance. People want a genuine story to get behind, and being able to visit the distillery, meet the makers, see the casks maturing and taste the whisky in the place where it’s made makes that bottle so much more than just a well-designed, well-marketed product. 
Bill Lark gave us lots of sterling advice,” adds Abbie, “especially around the business model and how we could potentially grow. He said to follow our instinct and that’s stuck in my mind ever since. Mark Nicholson, Dean Jackson, Peter Bignell, Casey and Jane Overeem, William McHenry, David MacLennan… All these fine fellows helped shape our distillery, offering at the time (and continuing to do so) fantastic advice and guidance. 
That was nearly 18 months ago and construction work at Cooper King Distillery is now underway.
Chris with Belgrove Distillery's Peter Bignell.
The copper still may be destined to become an integral and highly visible Tasmanian influence on this fledgling distillery but Abbie and Chris intend to implement much more of what they learned from their Colonial teachers. Tasmanian distillers are acutely aware of the ecological strengths of their beautiful island and they aim to both utilise the pristine natural resources and protect the environment that produces it. Tasmanian distillery Belgrove sets a benchmark for sustainable craft distilling. Founder Peter Bignell grows his own rye, made his own copper still from scratch, collects rainwater from the roofs of his sheds, heats it with biodiesel that he makes himself from waste oil (which also powers his tractors, forklift and truck), feeds his livestock used whisky mash and recycles waste water for irrigation. This focus on sustainability was not lost on Abbie and Chris as Chris explains:
We’ve sourced local barley (some of which we are hoping to have grown in the field next to us), partnered with the country’s last master cooper whose workshop is a 30-minute drive away, and are self-building the distillery. Much like the Tassie distilleries we visited, we want to produce a craft spirit with genuine provenance, in a space that we’ve designed. We’ve also been on a steep learning curve regarding the funding and running of a business. We’ve successfully applied for an innovation grant, a tree-planting grant, and for another to research into how we can reduce and reuse our distillery waste. We’ve also been pitching to investors and bought on a select few to part-fund the build. All of this has been completely new to us, incredibly challenging, all-consuming, but ultimately very rewarding! 
Comradery is something we have been trying to foster amongst the emerging English whisky distilleries,” adds Abbie, “inspired by the Tassie scene back in 2014. We produced an English whisky map to help inform the public of the fledgling industry and have been on a couple of 1000mile road trips around the country in our tiny Renault Clio, purposefully to visit as many of the other distilleries as we can and strike up a friendship. There’s still a few more to visit yet, and I hope our visits will lead to some exciting collaborations. 
Cooper King Distillery launched their Founders’ Club in May.

The Founders' Club is designed to provide the last piece of the funding puzzle which will allow Abbie and Chris to fire up the stills and get spirit flowing by autumn/winter this year. Members will be rewarded with first-release products, rare bottlings, distillery merchandise and lifetime membership. Abbie had this to say about the Founders’ Club:
We can't wait to welcome other fine fellows into the Cooper King family to share in the exciting times ahead. Our Founders make this whole project worthwhile; they will be the first to reap the rewards when the stills start flowing with our unique English spirit. 
Cooper King Distillery will be offering numerous Founders’ Club reward tiers ranging from £30 upwards, which will make great gifts for whisky and gin lovers. Memberships are limited and are on a first come, first served basis, so those who want a piece of the action are encouraged to act quickly. You can sign up to the mailing list here for more information and be informed of future developments.

The student becomes the master.

Australian distilling would not be where it is today without the influence, expertise and investment of early settlers and immigrants, but the local industry Down Under has matured into something much more than a mere clone of its European ancestors. It is now at the stage where unique Australian lessons and successes are being exported back to the UK and in a serendipitous turn of events are making the Old World, new again. There are certainly exciting times ahead and I look forward to visiting Abbie and Chris at Cooper King Distillery next year when I travel to the UK.

Paul John Classic Select Cask Impressions

0
0
Original photo provided by Tim Grant and used with permission.

What is it?

Distillery: Paul John
Name: Classic Select Cask
Make: Indian Single Malt Whisky
Extra Info: The Paul John distillery is situated in Goa, on the west coast of India. Indian single malt whisky is produced primarily for the export market. An Indian 'whisky' is produced and sold locally made from blending a molasses-based spirit similar to Rum with either grain whisky or blended Scotch whisky. This cannot be sold as 'whisky' in most of the world and is often referred to as a 'spirit drink.' However, according to Forbes, in 2014 one such 'spirit drink,' Officer’s Choice sold 28.4 million 9-liter cases - about 255 million litres and enough to fill over 100 Olympic-size swimming pools. By comparison, that is over 14 times the volume of global Johnnie Walker sales!

Why did I buy it?

I didn't. This is a review of a sample bottle kindly provided by Paul John. I usually only review full-size bottles since I can take my time and drink as much as I need to finalise my impressions. That is more difficult to do with a sample bottle, but I have done my best.

What did I think of it?

Presentation: Paul John whisky has an unusually uniform design language across their entire range. In fact, it can be difficult to distinguish between expressions from a distance, since the label differences are very subtle and the colour of the whisky look very similar. Bottled at 55.2% ABV.

Appearance: All the whisky in the Paul John range looks the same golden hue to me, but Paul John proudly claim their whisky contains no artificial colouring and are non-chill filtered. I can only assume that some form of distillery wizardry must take place to achieve such a consistent colour across the range.

Aroma: A delectable blend of nutmeg spice, sweet honey and faint vanilla notes.

Flavour: Oily mouthfeel, sweet and peppery.

Finish: Smooth, medium length, late spicy pop with some bitterness at the last moment.

Would I buy it again?

Yes. Paul John Classic Select Cask is an ideal whisky for when you want to just wile away the hours savouring the aroma and taking the occasional sip. Depending on your tastes, you may want to add a little water due to the relatively high alcohol content, but I found it to be great neat. Paul John Classic Select Cask is the kind of whisky you can nose incessantly and where a single dram can last an age. I really enjoyed it.

Disclaimer: I do not claim to have the nose and palate of a Master Sommelier, however, I am working to train my senses to better identify whisky aromas and flavours. Consider all my whisky 'Impressions' to be a work in progress and I hope to come back to each of them in the future to see if I notice anything different. Most importantly, I'm not just throwing around random aromas, flavours and adjectives for the hell of it; I am trying really hard to critically describe each whisky I taste - WhiskyDad.

Book Review: Whisk(e)y Distilled by Heather Greene

0
0
Original cover image provided by Heather Greene and used with permission.

I reviewed the Audible and Kindle editions of Whisk(e)y Distilled: A Populist Guide to the Water of Life and must begin by complimenting the excellent narration of the audiobook version by Tavia Gilbert. It was a pleasure to listen to and I felt like I was in the company of the author throughout. My only issue will be if I ever meet Heather Greene in person as I will no doubt be surprised when her voice does not sound like Tavia’s.

Heather Greene, is one of the most prominent and at times outspoken figures in the world of whisky. She was once a brand ambassador for whisky giant Glenfiddich but at the time of writing this book, was director of whiskey education at the Flat Iron room whiskey school in Manhattan and restaurant sommelier. Heather now writes freelance and travels the world teaching and consulting about spirits and has appeared on television as an expert in the field. Heather writes in a style and voice with a no-bullshit attitude to whisky that instantly appealed to my sentiments and compelled me to read on.

The topic of women and whiskey dominated my conversations so much that some reporters even though my book was about women and whiskey, or written specifically for them. It’s not. This is a book about whiskey. Plain and simple. 

The book begins with how Heather got into whisky in the first place; an industry that many still find surprising to see a woman reach positions of prominence in. Competing with the digital music revolution of the early 2000’s, Heather reluctantly left a professional music career and was hired by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society in Edinburgh, Scotland. Despite facing male prejudice regularly, Heather built a lucrative career around whisky. She establishes her credibility early in the book and for me drove home the dream of following your passion and finding a job that you love; something I hope my blog will one day lead to for myself.

Like many books on the subject, Whisk(e)y Distilled covers all the whisky fundamentals, such as history, production and regions with a welcome focus on whisky appreciation. Even detailing how to organise and run your own whisky tasting event. Her explanation of the whisky making process is excellent; one of the best I have read. It is written in a logical sequence and in easy to understand language that anyone could follow.

No palate is the gold standard, and no one tastes quite like you do. 

Heather’s thoughts on how to discover your own palate and the importance of nose and sense of smell were very interesting to read. She also manages to delve into basic organic chemistry and aromatic molecules without losing someone like me with only a modest grasp on the subject. I like how she emphasises the subjectiveness of aroma and taste and that it is ok to disagree. Whisky is a very personal thing and tasting notes should be seen only as a guide not as a ‘gold standard’ or as the correct notes. She discusses nosing technique to maximise the chance of isolating aromas and to minimise alcohol burn and olfactory numbing, without all the wank that often encroaches debates on the subject. 

In fact, Heather’s propensity to tackle the misinformation often touted by whisky snobs and dismiss common myths is welcome and encourages an inclusive whisky culture rather than the rubbish elitist scene that pollutes some social circles; a view that appeals to my own ideals. Regardless if you are not sure what you should or shouldn’t believe or if perhaps you think you already know everything, Heather will set you straight; personally, I learnt quite a few things.

…whisky loving in Scotland is far from snobbery, even if in America those two words—‘Scotch’ and ‘snob’—are often drawn together like magnets. You are more likely to share drams with a local lorry driver finishing his weekly whisky transport down the A1 to Glasgow from Dufftown than with someone holding the latest literary novel or a golf club. 

So who should buy this book and why should you buy this over other books about whisky? A quick search online will reveal that there are many books written on the subject and not all of them are equal. Whisk(e)y Distilled stands above many of the other offerings and managed to engage me from beginning to end. What I loved most about this book was the way it was written. I felt like I was having a chat with the author over a dram; perhaps facing each other from comfy chesterfields in front of a crackling fire. There's a certain contagious energy that someone has when discussing a topic they love and it's rare for that passion to translate to the written word quite as well as Heather manages to do in her book. This may even be my favourite whisky book to date and I highly recommended it for both the whisky novice and aficionado alike.


Purchase from:




Note about Affiliate Links: If you make a purchase by following the link above, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. If you do this, thank you for your support and I hope you enjoy the product.

Paul John Brilliance Impressions

0
0
Original photo provided by Tim Grant and used with permission.

What is it?

Distillery: Paul John
Name: Brilliance
Make: Indian Single Malt Whisky
Extra Info: The Paul John distillery is situated in Goa, on the west coast of India. A popular tourist location with temperatures ranging from an average of 25°C in winter to an average of 30°C in summer. Pair this with a tropical monsoon climate at you have all the makings for rapidly ageing (and evaporating) whisky. Paul John tries to slow this process by ageing their whisky in underground temperature-controlled bond stores, but don't expect to India whisky boasting of double-figure age statements like those of Scotch; similarly to Taiwan and Australia, whisky just ages and is lost to the "Angel's Share" much faster in these climates.

Why did I buy it?

I didn't. This is a review of a sample bottle kindly provided by Paul John. I usually only review full-size bottles since I can take my time and drink as much as I need to finalise my impressions. That is more difficult to do with a sample bottle, but I have done my best.

What did I think of it?

Presentation: Paul John whisky has an unusually uniform design language across their entire range. In fact, it can be difficult to distinguish between expressions from a distance, since the label differences are very subtle and the colour of the whisky look very similar. Bottled at 46% ABV.

Appearance: All the whisky in the Paul John range looks the same golden hue to me, but Paul John proudly claim their whisky contains no artificial colouring and are non-chill filtered. I can only assume that some form of distillery wizardry must take place to achieve such a consistent colour across the range.

Aroma: Pleasantly oaky, citrus notes and vanilla cream sponge cake.

Flavour: Tingling spices on the tongue, saliva-inducing dry with fennel and pepper.

Finish: Medium length, fading spice with a bitter aftertaste.

Would I buy it again?

If I had tried it in isolation, Yes; but I tried it alongside other expressions from Paul John and to be honest, Brilliance wasn't my favourite. Paul John Brilliance is a perfectly fine example of Indian single malt and I bet if you haven't tried Indian whisky before, it tastes better than you would expect. In fact, Brilliance was awarded 'Best Overseas Whisky' at the 2017 Òran Mór Whisky Awards in Scotland. But in my opinion, Brilliance is the tamest of the Paul John whisky range and is not the one I will be coming back to.

Disclaimer: I do not claim to have the nose and palate of a Master Sommelier, however, I am working to train my senses to better identify whisky aromas and flavours. Consider all my whisky 'Impressions' to be a work in progress and I hope to come back to each of them in the future to see if I notice anything different. Most importantly, I'm not just throwing around random aromas, flavours and adjectives for the hell of it; I am trying really hard to critically describe each whisky I taste - WhiskyDad.
Powered by Blogger.