Scotland's new kid on the block !

New Perthshire whisky distillery to show plenty of spirit

By SANDRA GRAY, 14 June 2013 10.38am.

• From left; Tony Reeman-Clark and David Lang with their new stills.Phil Hannah

The smallest — and newest — distillery in Scotland is just weeks away from launching.

Based in a 160-year-old renovated farm steading, the Strathearn Distillery aims to bring whisky production back to basics.

Since the beginning of the year, work has been ongoing to transform the site at Bachilton Farm, near Methven, into a mecca for malt lovers.

The idea is the brainchild of Tony Reeman-Clark, David Lang and David Wight, who came up with the plan to produce their own whisky while attending an industry event in Edinburgh.

Director Tony told The Courier: “We are breaking away from the big distillers and taking it back to what it used to be.

“We want to make this an experience and it’s important to us that people can come and find out how a distillery really works.”

The team has been working closely with students from Heriot Watt University’s International Centre for Brewing and Distilling. They revealed the vast differences between visiting a large distillery and a smaller development, like Strathearn.

“A group of students came up here and it was fantastic,” Tony added.

“Normally, when they go to one of the bigger whisky producers, all they’re allowed to do is push a couple of buttons to start the process. Here, however, they were able to take things apart and really find out how things work.”

There are also ambitious plans to turn members of the public into distillers by hosting week-long workshops, making it the only place in Scotland to offer these first-hand experiences.

Tony said: “The idea is that they can come here on a Monday to pick their malt and start making their whisky.

“The next two days, while it’s fermenting, would be spent training people how to use the stills, so they can finish the distilling process themselves.

“On the final day, they can cask up their whisky and lay it down for three years to mature.”

The venture has been described as an investment for malt whisky fans, as a 50-litre cask can reap up to 19 bottles of the water of life.

Much as they would in a restaurant, customers can order their favoured drink.

David Lang, who is also a director at the distillery, said: “We have a range of casks, so we can work with people individually to determine what their own whisky will taste like. No one else in Scotland does that.”

Due to its unique nature, the Strathearn Distillery, which is described as a Micro-Distil-Brewery, will also be able to create gin and, in the near future, speciality ales.

The team is already hoping to market a particularly special spirit — Heather Rose gin. Although it looks more like whisky in the bottle, once tonic water is added it turns a delicate pink colour.

Plans are now in place to stock this in independent stores across the country.

They may have big ambitions, but Tony and the two Davids intend to keep their operation as local as possible, even using barley grown on Bachilton Farm during the production process.

In the longer term, a maltings may be developed, ensuring that the complete cycle is based on-site.

The Strathearn Distillery will be up and running by the middle of next month, when the directors hope to open their doors to visitors. For further information on ordering a cask or booking an experience day, go online to www.strathearndistillery.com, call 01738 840100, or emailinfo@strathearndistillery.com.

Happy Father's Day, Distillers love this time of year !

The perfect Father's Day treat? Blend your own Johnnie Walker whisky. In China

Father's Day is just around the corner and if this year you feel he deserves more than the usual novelty tie and socks, perhaps it's worth splashing out?

If he's a whisky fan, he'll love the chance to create his own blend of that golden nectar, especially as it involves a trip to China to visit Johnnie Walker House in Beijing - the self-proclaimed "world's largest embassy for luxury Scotch whisky".

The only setback? With a price tage of a whopping £120,000, you may need a swig or two from your father's carefully-crafted bottle of whisky to be able to pay the bill.

The offering comes from online spirits retailer Alexander & James and promises a completely personalised one-week trip. Your dad will travel first class, stay in the best hotels and visit Beijing, Shanghai and Xian. He'll be able to explore the Great Wall of China, see the Terracotta Army, visit one of the world's finest cigar bars in Xian and round off the trip at the original Johnnie Walker House in Shanghai.

Of course the highlight for whisky-loving dads is the chance to venture behind the scenes at Johnnie Walker in Beijing to some of the world's rarest whisky vaults and work with a Master Blender to create their own bespoke spirit - right down to the blend and style of decanter.

Johnnie Walker master blender Jim Beveridge said: "This gift is symbolic in so many ways. It’s wonderful to think of another family passing their private whisky blend through the generations, much as the Walkers have done."

It certainly beats yet more golf paraphernalia. But you just might need to be a descendant of Johnnie Walker himself to be able to afford it...

Copper bottomed investment !

Young coppersmiths sought as whisky industry booms

Monday 3 June 2013

COPPERSMITHS who are benefiting from the global demand for whisky are keen to teach young people their traditional skills.

The metal-workers produce the large copper stills which are crucial in the distillation process.

They have been made at Abercrombie, Diageo's coppersmith business in Alloa, since the 1790s.

In the past 12 months the Clackmannanshire coppersmiths have worked on around 30 stills and are they are now recruiting apprentices to pass on the craft to a younger generation.

Operations manager, Charlie King, said: "We are enjoying one of the busiest periods we've seen. High-quality copper stills produce high-quality whisky and we are lucky to have a team of highly skilled craftsmen in Alloa who can produce the best in the business.

"I'm particularly pleased the growth in the industry is allowing us to take on young people as apprentices and to train them up in this traditional craft."

Abercrombie has just installed new stills at Linkwood and Mannochmore distilleries on Speyside.

It is not just whisky that can be produced in the stills. The company has an order to craft a model for the production of the Turkish anise-flavoured spirit, raki.

Mr King said: "Our colleagues in Turkey recognise the tradition of skill and craftsmanship we've built over the generations in the Scotch industry and they want to draw on that.We hope global interest in our craft will create new opportunities to bring investment and jobs in the future."

Arrival of Brown-drink Bars !

Brisbane's whisky bars enjoy a surge in popularity as drinkers cross to the dark side

• BY:SHARNEE RAWSON 
• From:The Courier-Mail 
• June 08, 2013 12:00AM

Stuart Griffith, rum specialist at the Breakfast Creek Hotel, with a Plantation 20th Anniversary Barbardos rum. Picture: Philip Norrish Source: The Courier-Mail

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BRISBANE drinkers are opting for a taste of something different, as bars dedicated to the "dark spirits" - whisky and rum - move into prime city locations.

Nant Whisky bar at Fortitude Valley's Emporium and Cobbler at West End are venues dedicated to the dark stuff, while restaurants such as Restaurant II and the Laneway Bar, both in the CBD, have extensive offerings for whisky connoisseurs.

Keith Batt, owner of Nant Distillery in Tasmania, lives in Brisbane, and opened his first cellar door-style whisky bar in the Emporium last year.

He'll open an upscale lounge in the CBD in August, plus additional bars in Melbourne, Sydney and London, with aims to have 10 domestic and 10 international bars within the next three years.

"The market for single malt is growing by about 18 per cent per year, while spirits in generally are growing by 0.5 per cent, with about $600 million worth of whisky drunk in Australia each year," Mr Batt said.

"People are moving towards premium products, and want to learn, investigate and understand what they're drinking.

"The culture is shifting from binge drinking to having a discerning palate.

Nant's customer base ranges from "20-year-old women to 80-year-old men", with females representing around 30 per cent of clientele.

"That traditional, stuffy older men's club mentality is really changing, and we're finding a younger set of people who are interested in exploring whisky."

The city lounge will feature old-school trolley service, with up to 250 single malt varieties from $12, and ranging up to $1000, for a nip of 40-year-old Ardbeg single malt whisky, from one of only 220 bottles in the world.

"People are looking for inexpensive ways to treat themselves, and because whisky is such a premium product, it has that special feeling to it."

Brisbane bartender Stuart Griffith, from the Breakfast Creek Hotel, agrees that darker spirits are enjoying their moment in the spotlight.

"In 2005, it was the premium vodkas and contemporary cocktails, but from late 2005, the darker spirits have really grown, as consumers start to want a bit more for their money, and go for complex flavours and styles," he said.

Mr Griffith is a champion of rum, and stocks more than 400 varieties at the Creek.

"Initially, 75 per cent of sales were Bundaberg Rum, but within 10 months, it reversed and dropped to around 25 per cent," he said. "We thought selling the lesser-known brands would be a struggle, but it's really taken off."

He said spiced rums, such as the house blend with strawberry gumleaf, cinnamon and vanilla, were popular, while French agricole rum, aged in cognac casks, appeals to scotch drinkers.

"We also have Brazilian-style rums, made with fresh sugar cane juice, and really dark British naval rums."

Nips start at $8 and go up to $165, for a Havana Maximum rum.

Joey Dunlop Whisky moment !

Limited edition TT whisky

Joey Dunlop Foundation Whisky Launch. Hailwood Centre. re John T. Left - Kevin Quirk (JDF) & Ralf Mitchell (ralfy.com).

Published on 31/05/2013 16:38

The Joey Dunlop Foundation has had its own blend of whisky made to help raise funds towards the charity’s planned expansion next year.

The foundation runs the Braddan Bridge House year round holiday accommodation for disabled visitors and plans to extend its accommodation in 2014. The whisky is limited to 2013 bottles which are individually numbered, available from Bushy’s beer tent and cost £45 each.

More World Whiskies on the way !

Paul John's single malts are looking to break into the UK market. Picture: submitted

By STEPHEN EMERSON
Published on 27/05/2013 08:42

THE well-told narrative of whisky is that Scotch is dominant. We ship it to all corners of the globe, particularly the booming countries of China and India, and that wherever it lays down its malty roots the aspiring classes ensure its growth.

The not so well told tale is how whisky produced in these countries fares both in its origin country and when it is sent overseas.

Go into any quality whisky bar and you’ll will find a good range of Japanese whisky but you’ll have to look a bit harder at the shelves to find a bottle of Indian whisky and harder still to find an Indian single malt.

Step forward a Paul John.

A Goa produced single malt that is making tentative steps to break into the UK whisky market.

The baby of Indian uber-distillers John Distilleries PVT Ltd, whose Original Choice blend sells 1 million cases a month, it’s Brilliance and Edited bottlings have already been well received.

Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible awarded the distiller Liquid Gold certification with a score of 94.5.

They may lack the lyrical genious employed in the naming of some Scotch bottlings but they can go toe-to-toe on the taste front.

The Brilliance is an apertif whisky that would provide a fresh blast after a meal, there is a rainbow of pleasurable light zesty flavours to chew on.

The Edited however is a find - that rare malt that successfully trapezes the fine line between peat and sweet in the mould of an Ardmore.

The unique flavour of these whiskies is as like Scotch influenced by where they are produced.

Like Jura, matured by the sea in a gulf stream, they are light whiskies.

However the lightness is accelerated by the fact that John’s casks are matured by the sea in Goa temperatures that average 40 degrees.

Maturing at his heat means that there are some very drunk angels with 12 per cent lost out of the barrel every year (Angel’s Share).

It’s little wonder that John Distilleries don’t want to keep their spirit in the cask for too long - their two single malt bottlings are made up of spirit with a maximum age of 7 years .

As India is not known for its peat, the company ship it over from Islay and burn it over their own Indian grown barley .

Executive Vice President of Overseas Opertions said the decision to target the Uk market, taken in 2006, wasn’t one that was taken lightly.

“We were not trying to create something as a rival to Scotch whisky - we are in awe of it - we wanted to create something different.

“I think we’ve achieved that.”

Rum Running 1929

Pathe news reels from the archives showing a rum-runner getting caught !

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/rum-running/query/rum