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On this page you will find some of
Paul's favourites, including; Cardhu, Jura,
Monkey shoulder and of
course Oban (him being from that neck of the woods).
We are often asked; what is
the best whisky? the answer; which ever one YOU like
best!
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CARDHU
Which means 'black rock', is
situated at Knockando on the Craigellachie
to Grantown road, very much in the heart of
Speyside. The distillery was first licenced
in 1824 by one John Cumming, the owner of
Cardow farm.
The distillery
was made famous by John Cumming's daughter
in-law, Elizabeth, who rebuilt the
distillery in 1872. This made her the first
female distiller in Scotland, and her
hospitality had a glowing reputation. Diageo
continue this hospitality today as Cardhu is
now the spiritual home of Johnnie Walker. 'Cardow'
is the anglicised name for Cardhu,
occasionally independent bottlers use this
name, as did the owners Diageo for a brief
period in late 2003 to early 2004.
The vatted/pure
malt controversy made Cardhu famous, and
might yet make the short-lived red pure malt
expression a collectors item.
Paul's note;
I have a bottle unopened! Offers gladly
welcomed. To be honest, many years ago I
first tasted this malt because I liked the
shape of the bottle! Only then did I find
out what a true malt this is and love it. |
ISLE OF JURA
SUPERSTITION
The people of Jura are superstitious. From
the prophecy of the one-eyed Campbell to an
aversion to cutting peat before May, age-old
island beliefs resonate to this day. Drawing
on our finest older malts and spring-peated
younger whiskies, Jura Superstition is a
tribute to the people, the traditions and
the mystical heritage that make Jura island
life unique.
COLOUR – Deep intense mahogany with
glittering sun rays
NOSE – Firm and positive, yet forcibly
mellow. Strong accents of phenolic aromas.
Rich, sensual nuances of honey and marzipan.
PALATE – Spice, honey, pine and peat aromas
make a dramatic impact, the long years in
oak casks have tempered and tamed this
mystic spirit creating a long, lingering and
tantalising aftertaste.
BRONZE AWARD WINNER AT 2005 INTERNATIONAL
WINE AND SPIRIT COMPETITION
Paul's note; I have a bottle of this also,
though half full by now, again I was taken
by the marketing, but have always enjoyed
the taste
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Monkey Shoulder
- hard to find, but well worth it in the
end, I love this dram! A wee story from
Paul. It is a vatted, or pure, malt whisky,
this cheeky monkey is made by combining
three single malts from separate (Kininvie,
Glenfiddich and Balvenie I am led to
believe) Speyside distilleries. Rooted in
malt whisky lore, Monkey Shoulder is
inspired by and named in honour of the malt
men at William Grant, who are among the few
still to turn the malting barley by hand
using a sheil (wooden shovel). Monkey
Shoulder was a nickname given to a temporary
injury some malt men occasionaly suffered
many years ago as a result of repeatedly
bending over whilst turning the malt.
Thankfully, working practices have now
changed and the condition no longer exists.
Crafted in small batches of just 27 bourbon
casks, Monkey Shoulder's smooth and and
rounded taste has accents of malty
sweetness, vanilla, marmalade and barley
sugar. (eh? what d'you mean, cannee taste
all those! Paul) The iconic bottle design,
complete with three brass monkeys - each
representing one of the single malts - on
the bottle's shoulder, is sure to attract
people with discerning taste and ensures
it's not one to hide away. I LOVE IT!
Producer: William Grant & Sons Ltd -
www.williamgrant.com ABV:
40%
Country of Origin: Scotland Region:
Speyside
Category(s): Blended & Vatted Whisky
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What is Your favourite
dram? Some prefer single malt, some a blend, who
really cares? A Speyside, Lowland, Highland, Isles?
we will endevour to sample them all - or as many as
we can, just for you!
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Paul; hard to say, I
like many, but if really pushed - maybe an Oban or
Jura. Or Dalwhinnie, or Dimple. You need me to go
right through the alphabet! As I can. |
Liz; "anything I can
put into a hot toddy! " We had a special
bottling of 2002 whisky for the Maclean gathering of
that year, out of the total amount, Liz had and
enjoyed around 8 bottles, all went into hot toddy's.
WHAT'S YOURS? LET US
KNOW
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WHAT WAY TO TRY AND TASTE SCOTCH
WHISKY?
There are no hard and fast rules when drinking
whisky. Don't let preconceptions or supposedly
set-in-stone conventions get in the way of enjoying
your favourite dram. Scotch can be enjoyed
responsibly in many ways. Here are just a few:
In Scotland, Scotch Whisky tends to be enjoyed
straight or with a little water . However, enter a
bar in Tokyo and you will see whisky being
consumed 'mizawari', diluted with lots of water .
Out for the evening in Madrid, the order is
likely to be Scotch mixed long with lots of ice and
cola . In Shanghai Scotch with ice and cold
green tea is very popular. Visit a style bar in
New York and bartenders are likely to be using
the great variety of whisky flavours to make
exciting cocktails.
So who is right? Well, everyone.
The only rule is
that you should drink Scotch the way you enjoy it as
an individual. |
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