Help Me Plan My Trip To Scotland In 2018 - Part One

In a little under a year, Dad-of-WhiskyDad (i.e. my Dad) and I, will be travelling from Australia to Scotland for a 28-day whisky adventure!

We will be arriving in the UK around May 21^st, next year, flying in and out of Manchester Airport and hiring a car to get around. There are a few things we really want to do, but for the most part we are open to suggestions for the must see, must do, Scottish whisky experiences.

In order to maximise enjoyment and minimise the need to stick to a strict schedule, of the Scottish Isles we will only be visiting Islay. As much as I would love to visit them all, I would rather spend a few days on Islay and save the others for another visit. We will also be spending a significant amount of time in Campbeltown since the timing of our trip is intentional to align with the Campbeltown Malts Festival and hopefully a five-day Springbank Whisky School as well. I imagine we will spend some time in and around the Highlands and Speyside in the second half of the trip and visit Edinburgh on the way back south.

Dad-of-WhiskyDad spent his childhood in an English town called Corby, after my grandparents moved there from Scotland; so we will finish our trip in Corby and have a few ‘Where Did I Come From’ moments along the way.

How Can You Help?

If you have been to Scotland before, what are your must-see whisky experiences? Distilleries we must visit, tours we must take, places we must go, people we must meet and sights we must see. Or perhaps you know a few whisky secrets you are willing to share? This will be an ongoing process and I will keep you abreast of the plan leading up to the trip itself and of course, I will blog my experience whilst over there.

If you would like to make suggestions to help shape our Scottish whisky adventure, please do so either using the comments at the end of this post or via the WhiskyDad Facebook page or Twitter.

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Paul John Bold Impressions

Original photo provided by Tim Grant and used with permission.

What is it?

Distillery: Paul John

Name: Bold

Make: Indian Single Malt Whisky

Extra Info: The Paul John distillery is situated in Goa, on the west coast of India. In the hot and humid weather of Goa, whisky ages three or four times faster than in your typical Scottish storehouse. This means a young Indian single malt can look, smell and taste comparable to a much older Scotch single malt. Unfortunately, the rapid ageing also means that far more whisky is lost to the “Angel’s Share” in India; in the case of Paul John, around 6% to 8% of the volume of a cask is lost per year of ageing. In comparison, an ageing Scotch whisky cask usually reduces in volume at a rate of less than 2% per year.

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: Quite a restrained nose, faint clove spice, not smokey at all, a little fruity.

Flavour: A very pleasant smooth and balanced spicy mix with a smokiness that builds as the whisky warms in your mouth.

Finish: A bit of a nothing finish, a brief spicy pop that fades quickly.

Would I buy it again?

No, in my opinion, Paul John Bold is a little one dimensional; by saying that I mean Paul John Bold definitely stars on the palate but fails to impress on the nose and in the finish. I am sure that a lot of people would like this whisky since it excels in flavour without overpowering the drinker but personally, I like a little more going on regardless of how tasty it may be. Paul John Bold is an inoffensive single malt that tastes great but is just not as involving as I would have liked. It would make an excellent introduction to Indian single malt whisky or as an example of a lightly peated malt for someone new to a peated style. Perhaps it could have been better if it was bottled at a slightly higher ABV.

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.

Mackmyra Ten Years Impressions

Original photo provided by Mackmyra and used with permission.

What is it?

Distillery: Mackmyra

Name: Ten Years

Make: Swedish Single Malt Whisky

Extra Info: Mackmyra was founded in 1999 by a group of eight like minded whisky-loving friends studying at the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden. Their first whisky, Preludium 01, was released in 2006. Mackmyra source all of their ingredients from within Sweden. Mackmyra Ten Years is the brand’s first age statement single malt whisky.

Why did I buy it?

I didn't. This is a review of a sample bottle kindly provided by Mackmyra. 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: If Mackmyra Ten Years was IKEA, it would be called 'Giant catalogue maze that you can't escape without buying a side table with a silly name, when all you want is a hotdog.' It pretty much says it all on the label. Bottled at 46.1% ABV.

Appearance: Um, yellow? It's not pale like straw or darker gold.

Aroma: Smells like a freshly opened box of IKEA flat-pack furniture, with tinned fruit in syrup and some grass. 

Flavour: Fruity with a slight sweet smokiness - not peated, more like a smokey spice, paprika perhaps?

Finish: Quite long with a strong spicy fade.

Would I buy it again?

Yes, I only had a measly 50ml to taste and that was enough to pique my interest. I have tried a number of Mackmyra whiskies in the past and the Ten Years is definitely one of the better ones. An excellent choice for an introduction to Scandinavian whisky. 

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.

Interview with Joel Hauer of Whisky Loot

I’m joined today by Joel Hauer of the new Australian-based whisky subscription service, Whisky Loot. For those who are not aware, a whisky subscription service is a service that sends subscribers a regular package of whisky in exchange for a fee. This operates similarly to a wine club but since whisky is usually much more expensive than wine, you may only get smaller sample bottles rather than full-sized retail bottles.

Hi Joel, what is your background and why start your own whisky subscription service?

My background is in marketing & startups, and I've always had a passion for whisky, although I also want to ensure people don't make the same mistakes and have the same frustrations I had when I tried to learn more & taste more of what's out there. I acknowledge that I'm definitely not the most knowledgeable in the world of whisky, so we have plans to get an expert ambassador onboard to help curate the themed boxes each month, as this will add a level of trust and transparency to the offering.

What makes Whisky Loot different to other whisky subscription services on the market?

We're focusing on premium whisky at a reasonable price, with 3 x 60mL bottles at $60/mo. including delivery. In order to achieve this, we're partnering with the distilleries directly and forming relationships to make this mutually beneficial and passing on the reduced costs to consumers. We've been talking with a lot of Whisky lovers, distilleries, bar owners and business people to try and ascertain pain points that we can solve. There's a lot of heritage within the industry and established practices which we think are somewhat outdated and could be done a bit better.

What do subscribers get for their money?

We're focusing on education first and foremost, by proving consumers with relevant tasting notes and allowing them to form their own opinion about the Whisky. Each bottle is presented in a premium monthly box, which comes along with a tasting booklet allowing people to write down their thoughts as they taste. Our site will also double as a shop, showcasing recent tasting boxes' full bottles, at a member only discount.

Are subscribers committed to buying even if they are not interested in a particular month's selection?

The subscription system allows people to skip a month they may not be inclined to taste, and even pause for up to 3 months at a time. 

Do you sign up for a particular number of months? Can you cancel at any time?

Cancel anytime on a monthly recurring delivery.

Is the Whisky Loot service restricted to addresses within Australia? What about our neighbours in New Zealand?

Not immediately, we have plans once launched to push into different markets.

Can you order a single sample box to be sent to someone else as a gift?

Yes, 3, 6 or 12-month gifts.

From how many whiskies will you be choosing your sample boxes from and can you give any examples of future selections?

Themed boxes, to be released online 7 days prior to the billing date - giving customers ample time to skip that month if they don't like the sound of that themed box.

So when does Whisky Loot go live and how can someone sign up?

It is live now for pre-orders, just head to whiskyloot.com.

Thanks for your time Joel and all the best for the Whisky Loot in future. 

Toast The Macallan Sydney 2017

I have a confession to make; my reasons for getting into whisky blogging were not entirely altruistic. The potential to be invited to sweet whisky events and perhaps imbibe even sweeter whisky – for free – was indeed a driving factor. Well, now that your image of me as a selfless writer is well and truly shattered, I am happy to report I recently received my first invite to such a whisky event and did indeed enjoy not only free whisky (including a full-size bottle as a parting gift) but also free food!...Tick and tick.

But this isn’t a post about how to get free whisky, it is an account of how The Macallan put on a whisky event and why they really are one of the best in the business for engaging with their target market. This was my second Macallan-focussed tasting event, but Toast The Macallan Australia is on a different level to your average whisky tasting night. Held at the Roslyn Packer Theatre (previously the Sydney Theatre), in the heart of Sydney, Edrington (owner of the Macallan brand) selected and decked out a stunning location.

The Richard Wherrett Studio with its wooden floorboards, high ceiling and beautiful bare brick walls dating back more that 100 years to the building’s warehouse beginnings, provided a perfect setting for fine dining and whisky tasting. Toast The Macallan has been held in South-East Asia previously but has only recently arrived in Australia; coinciding with the release onto the Australian market of The Macallan Double Oak 12 Years Old single malt whisky. The format follows a three-course fine dining meal, expertly paired with a selection of Macallan whiskies. In the case of the Sydney event, the food was curated by Australian chef James Viles of Bowral’s two hatted Biota Dining and I can report it was one of the best things I have ever tasted and not just because it was free.

Unfortunately for me, I had underestimated the effect of the Vivid Festival on Sydney traffic and arrived late, missing out on the canapés but still managing to grab a cocktail on my way into the venue. Canapés on offer included dried pear cigars filled with sheep’s milk blue cheese, charcoal bark with whipped roe cream, fermented garlic and clay-cooked beetroot tartare and duck ham with endive and goat's cheese. All of the canapés were delicious, apparently – I was particularly disappointed to have missed out on the duck ham. Accompanying the canapés were two whisky cocktails, an Old Fashioned made with The Macallan Double Cask 12 Years Old and the only one I got to try, a cocktail of The Macallan Fine Oak 12 Years Old, Oloroso sherry, tonic and lemon thyme which was very tasty and refreshing.

Our host for the evening was The Macallan Brand Ambassador, Sietse Offringa, son of Hans Offringa, professional whisky writer and author of more than 20 books. Sietse was brought up surrounded by whisky and developed a love and appreciation for the brown spirit from an early age. It was a pleasure to listen to Sietse (the most Scottish sounding Dutchman you are likely to find) introduce us to a selection of The Macallan range, which included The Macallan Fine Oak 12 Years Old, Double Cask 12 Years Old and The Macallan Rare Cask.

The star whisky of the evening was The Macallan Double Cask 12 Years Old single malt, new to the Australian market and now readily available.

I was lucky enough to receive a bottle of this whisky and will write a full review in due time. The ‘Double Cask’ in the name comes from the use of both ex-sherry European and American oak casks, each bringing unique flavour profiles that are expertly combined to produce the final whisky. I did not bother critically comparing the three whiskies on the night, preferring instead to simply enjoy them, but I did enjoy The Macallan Double Cask 12 Years Old the most of the three.

Toast The Macallan would not have been the same without the amazing three-course meal provided by James Viles; it was enough for me to add visiting Biota Dining in Bowral to my bucket list and was expertly paired with the selection of whiskies. Entrée was smoked kingfish loin, with lime, and white radish and kelp oil served with charcoal corn, and citrus and wild fennel salad. The use of wildflowers paired well with the floral characteristics of the Fine Oak 12 Years Old and the citrus and fennel were most definitely present in the Double Cask 12 Years Old.

The main was a glazed beef rib that fell apart and almost dissolved in the mouth. It was served with chestnut crème and rappe stem. Raw chestnuts were also passed around which I thought tasted a bit like raw coconut.

The beef was complemented beautifully with a dish of wild mushrooms with what I believe was a smoked cream. The richness of this course paired very well with the richer flavours and silky texture of The Macallan Rare Cask.

Dessert was an amazing honey crème with toasted rye grains and artichoke ice cream topped with a thin crunchy bark made from the water left over from cooking the rye grain. The ice cream was frozen with liquid nitrogen immediately prior to serving and together with the crunchy popcorn-like rye grains and honey crème was simply delicious and a perfect way to end the evening.

Toast The Macallan was a truly enjoyable and engaging night of fine whisky and fine dining.

The Macallan sets a very high bar when it comes to hosting events such as this and there is no doubt why they have positioned themselves as a premium luxury brand among Scotch whisky. But that said, both the Fine Oak 12 Years Old and the new to Australia Double Cask 12 Years Old are quite reasonably priced at around A$110. I encourage you to give them a try and to jump at the chance to attend any future events hosted by The Macallan; you will not be disappointed.

My opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way, neither was I paid for this article. However, my attendance at this event was arranged by the Porter Novelli PR agency and I did receive a free bottle of The Macallan Double Cask 12 Years Old single malt on leaving…Score!