Lucas Dynowiak works for the Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre and advises on whisky in one of Edinburgh’s finest restaurants.
Lucas’s Edinburgh Whisky Blog illustrates a new wave of up-and-coming whisky writing. The combination of humour, brutal honesty and solid insight seem to be the main driving forces behind his success as an author.
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What’s hot and what’s not?
March 23, 2009
Forget about flicking through hundreds of pages of whisky compendia. Forget about confusing websites and sophisticated search engines sponsored by distillers. I give you the only whisky guide you need this season. Three whiskies that are steaming hot and thee that are not. Plain and simple (just like me!).
Hot – New Glendronach Range
Long anticipated and, presumably, outrageously good new range from Glendronach distillery, recently acquired by BenRiach (Icons of Whisky: Distiller Of The Year 2008). It is not only repackaged but also includes super fresh bottlings: 15 yo, 18 yo and a no-age-statement called Genesis. The word around was that they were to launch it in March but it seems like there is a delay there… Patience.
Hotter – Black Bull 30 yo
Oh yeah. The brand new incarnation of the famous Black Bull blend is out and about. The official launch took place in New York yesterday. There is no escaping it, you are fated to face the Beast this spring!
Hottest – Ardbeg Supernova
Limited Ardbeg Committee release of this whisky took place a month ago. There were also official and semi-official tastings left right and centre throughout March. Public launch, however, is due in May.
This malt may not be highly acclaimed by critics, may be overpriced and all that. But this year belongs to the Peat Monster. At 100ppm, this whisky will fly off the shelves, so get your £70 ready and keep the engine running if you want one.
****
Cold – Scapa 16 yo
My beloved Scapa is out in another, even older, expression. It is repackaged completely to match even higher quality of what’s in a bottle. Sounds right? Well, the £55 price tag doesn’t. Even the most dedicated Scapa fans, like me, will think twice.
Colder – Springbank 1919
In 1970 24 bottles were filled with Springbank 1919. It took them a long time to get rid of them but there is only one available for purchase now. The asking price is £50,000. In the current economic climate this is one poor deal.
Ice-cold – Michael Jackson Blend
Wine and spirit merchant Berry Bros and Rudd, in cooperation with the Whisky Magazine, created a blend to commemorate one of the greatest whisky writers and journalists of all times, Michael Jackson, who sadly died in 2007.
They blended it from Michael’s personal collection of over 1000 opened bottles. This level of blend content complexity is unprecedented and the outcome, I can only imagine, impossible to control. ‘So what?’ would they say, this whisky is not for drinking, it is a unique opportunity to own a piece of Michael’s collection, a chance to pay tribute to one great man. What’s more, “a proportion of the proceeds will go to the Parkinson Society”.
How noble would the whole idea be, if not for the word “proportion”.
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