Single Malt Lover!

88    Glengoyne 28yo (50.4%, OB, brass spirit safe)

這支酒我本來以為是他們在2000年時出的千禧年紀念酒,外殼做成像是酒廠中的烈酒保險箱一般(就是在酒後面的那個小玻璃櫃), Post出來後經由Lazy兄指正才知道不是那支, 下方Lazy兄有放真正那支的連結, …尾韻長是我對這支酒唯一的當場紀錄字眼.

Isle of Jura 10yo (40%, OB)

Color: Brown, large legs, going down fast.

Nose: Malty, citrus, fruity, some very light peat, a little bit sherry influence. Sea.

85  Compass Box Double Single (46%, Exclusive for Craigellachie Hotel, 650b.)
這支酒其實應該算是調和威士忌, 但是又跟調和威士忌不太一樣, 是用12年的Clynelish及15年的Cambus混合, 前者是單一麥芽, 後者算是單一穀物, 所以叫做Double Single.  個人認為還蠻容易喝的, 但是並不複雜, 酒瓶的背標認為Cambus是讓這支酒成功的原因, 頗值得玩味!

Ben Nevis 34yo 1966/2001 (53.7%, OB, Sherry Hogshead#4276, 209b. exclusive for Alambic Classique Germany)

90 points, extreaminly good stuff.  Classical malt.  Freshing .From a sherry cask but actually relaease lots oak aroma.  Rounder will fininshed extreamly long.  Very surprising and enjoyable. 沒看酒標之前覺得比較像是波本桶, 雪莉的味道沒有那麼明顯, 但是這支酒反而顯現出很特殊的木頭清香, 讓他整體感覺清新起來, 力道仍然存在, 很平衡而攸長的一支成功作品。

蠻興奮的, 一方面Disney本來就是個老少咸宜的地方, 一方面也為了明天的酒展. 今天在Disney外面的商場看到一間雪茄吧的廣告, 照片裡面就是一張Kingsbury的酒, 當場有點想衝進去, 不過帶著小孩, 明天估計又要喝到昏, 算了!

適逢情人節前, 全部都是限量商品, 巧克力花車到處都是, 真是見識到了! 情侶比小孩多得多!

July 19, 2005  Edinburgh

Our original plan was to go our as early as we can.  But it seems everybody was quite tired, we didn’t get out until 10:30.  We took the sightseeing bus around the city and left at the Edinburgh Castle before noon for the 1 o’clock canon firing.  It is said to be a tradition for the sailors to check the time.  Edinburgh Castle is full of tourists.  We looks around for a while, the kids are happy but do not really interested at the museum inside. 

Left this small quiet town.  Not too far away is the Scotland’s highest distillery, Dalwhinnie.  Right entering the distillery, my wife asked me what’s for the two large oak cask outside the still house.  It looks very similar like the mash tun but it can’t be.  I have a guess of some water tank.  Close, but wrong, it’s actually the worm tub again, acting as a condenser.  Our guide showed us through the distillery quick, but quite covers all the question.  I was very stupid to asked the question when I found they are using liquid yeast like Glenfiddich.  I asked why are they choose liquid yeast when most distillery use powder forms.  The guide answered interesting: they choose liquid because they found it’s performs better, and NO most distilleries use liquid because all Diageo distilleries use liquid.  How stupid I am!  And I found out most of the distilleries I visited are not under Diageo, that the reason.  Because Diageo is too big and do not really promote their single malt distilleries.  I was also very surprise to learn that Dalwhinnie only has one set of stills.  The guide also mentioned that when encountered the high temperature like last week., the worm tub does not works very well, they have to slow down the distilling process and kept pumping water inside the worm tub.  But generally speaking, it works well most of the time as being the highest distillery in Scotland, the temperature is quite low most of the time.  I personally not quite convince about the statement.  I think it would be interesting to compare the summer spirit to winter one, but could never being able to find the answer.  Another interesting finding: there is a Classical Mat map put on the wall of the warehouse we visited at the end.  The Dalwhinnie bottle on it is the Centenary bottling (1983/1998), I later found from it cost 300 pounds!  The free dram:

It is finally time to head south.  Since we have nothing to do for Sunday morning.  We let the children play at the nearby grass ground for a while, a lovely sunny day.  We stopped by the Ballindalloch Castle on the way to Glenlivet.  Ballindalloch Castle has been one the TV for several times.  It’s more like a big mention and I must say they are very rich.  The kids actually like their fancy toy truck better then the tour in the house. 

We stopped at the beautiful Livet side to take some pictures about an old bridge.  The Glenlivet does not open until 11:00 on Sunday morning.  The distillery has some highland cows and some cute ducklings, a plus for traveling with family like me.  The tour is short and very basic.  Our tour guide does not talk too much and knows very little.  I found a set of stills outside slight different then most of the sets inside.  She was very honest to say she didn’t even notice about it.  Our trip ends in the visit of the modern racked warehouse.  Quite a surprise as almost every distillery tried to show dunnage warehouse to visitors.  It is even surprise when I saw several 1962 and 1968 casks there.  The guide said it will be bottled later this year.  Common, give me a break.  I just heard the 1964 is the oldest Glenlivet so far.  Are you going to say the same words again within one year?  But generally speaking, a nice short one for a tired person like me.

Don’t get it wrong, I didn’t go for the distillery tour all day.  We went to Tomintoul for the annual Highland Game.  It is actually not too far from Craigellachie to Tomintoul.  However, what we didn’t realize is that the Highland Game start from one o’clock in the afternoon.  We arrived Tomintoul at 10:00.  It was very quite and we don’t see any musle men on the streets.  After consult with an old man.  We realize that the “pipe band” will march along the main streets and have the performance on the town center square.  It is very exciting when we see the band march in.  It is a pity that I knows very little about the tradition.  The only thing I know is that Tomintoul is probably the oldest town to hold the Highland Game in Scotland.  And that is also the reason they’ll have a large pipe band to start every year. 

We had a quite lunch at the famous local restaurant “the clock tower”, very delicious ground beef burger.  Then, the kids go with my wife to see the Game, while I stopped at the Whisky Castle for some quick shopping.  The shop owner Mike and Cathy were also in the Feis Ile 2004.  He brought back the Ardbeg Feis Ile bottle.  I was very happy to see that one as I left earlier last year and can’t get it.  We chat a little bit and he was very kind to have everyone in the shop to try this nice Port Ellen.

With the help of our Mr. Glanfarclas, Luc Timmermans, we had a VIP tour in Glenfarclas with George Grant, the sixth generation of the family.  George picked us up at ten o’clock.  We thought we can go somewhere else but it is obvious that we were too tired and we woke up too late to do anything else but only the delicious breakfast. (Note: you can’t miss the delicious smoked fish, only for breakfast.)  George is quite a nice young man, a little bit shy, but showed us great hospitality.  I was quite surprise to know he actually lived in Hong Kong for two years to help expend the far eastern business.  And the great news that he’ll get married with a Chinese girl, Stephanie, within two weeks.  (Congratulations, George!   

Hope you like the wedding gift I sent after I came back home.)

I promised Kirsty of Duncan Tayler to visit their store this morning.  Huntly is far then I thought.  I didn’t meet Kirsty as she is sick and has to stay at home.  Hope she’ll get well soon.  Nathalie is taking care of the store as I walk in, she just met Serge in the Vinexpo.  I found out the price here is about 50% cheaper than in Taiwan, too bad I don’t have room for these bottles, can only take some miniatures with me.  Didn’t hear any news this time.  Nathalie took a picture for us and post on their website.  We then had quite a good time in the Huntly Castle.  The castle is quite old but you can climb up to see most of the main structure.  The kids kept asking me why there is no prince and princes in the castle?  Umm, very hard question for me.

Our appointment at the Macallan is 2 o’clock in the afternoon.  As I mentioned the visit to Paul and Martine on Monday. They arranged the visit to be free and left me a bottle of 12yo Fine Oak and a Macallan watch.  That’s really a surprise to me.  It is quite a pity that Macallan is in maintenance and can’t get inside.  However, we still being able to have a sneak view outside the still house.  The coppersmith is changing part of a still.  The still is truly quite small no wonder they have to decrease the bottling as I have no idea how they can meet the huge demand in Taiwan, not too mention all over the world.  One thing quite nice in Macallan is that you’ll be able to see the Golden Promise barley right after you drive in.  It’s quite a view as I can already see some crops on it.  The tour contains a vertical tasting. And the VIP tasting room is just besides the Master’s tasting room.  You can see Master Bob working inside while we are doing the tasting.  Poor Bob, but it’s quite unique experience.

I decided to take the kids to see the dolphin.  But before we drive out, we stopped by the Johnson’s Cashmere.  The factory offers free tour to show you the process of making cashmere product, and it is much more fun for the kids then the distillery tours.  The shops also provide quality product with discount.  The beautiful Elgan cathedral just locate next to the factory.  Worth to stop by.  We then went to the Moray Firth Wildlife Center, which is just at the Spey Bay, where the spey river reach the sea.  I didn’t expect this wild life center that wild.  I though there were at least something easily to be seen.  Lucky I brought two binoculars with me and I am still a birdwatcher after all.  It is a quite nice spot for birdwatchers and according to the notes in the center, they also records dolphins almost everyday, but not yet this morning.  We didn’t have the chance to see the dolphin for our short stay, but the kids quite enjoyed the activity in the small center and they saw an osprey and see gulls when we are searching the dolphins.  The road then lead us to Keith, where I finally saw Strathisla.

Strathisla looks just like the pictures but seems to be much smaller but more beautiful.  It is not the working season but they still offers tour to go through the whole process.  My personal guide, Mathew, is doing a summer job here.  He explained in detail and answers most of my question.  Later I found out that his mother also works in Macallan as a tour guide for quite a long time.  No wonder he is very familiar with this job.  Strathisla’s stills are to small to believe.  The mash tun is the old fashion one just like the Bruichladdich’s but with a cover.  The ceiling in the sill house is wooden like a farm house and the still has almost reach the roof..  The warehouse is just for demonstration purpose and contains more Chivas Brothers then single malt..  I don’t know if it is for real, because I saw the Chivas 100 cask, Chivas 50yo , Chivas 38 yo ects.  But as far as I know, they have all been bottled.  So, what’s left here is really a mystery.  (Or maybe what’s already bottled is a mystery? Or maybe the limited bottles are not limited?)  The tour should began with a free Chivas 12yo and ends with Chivas 18yo.  But I asked to change the Chivas 18yo to Strathisla 12yo.  I also noticed that there were some cask strength bottles, which can only be bought at the distilleries, already opened in the tasting room.  But I guess it is only for the VIPs and certainly I am not one of them.

Glenfiddich sent a driver to pick me up at 9:30 from the hotel.  This nice lady (sorry I forget to write down her name) often takes different people to the distillery.  She particular like our fellow Mania Martin Noute.  She also mentioned that the famous Michael Jackson is a nice fellow, very kind and interesting.  We had some quite pleasant talk along the way.  She is also an Islay fan, and particular interested at my Bruichladdich Academy experience.  My tour start at the VIP rooms , which has all of the core range product of William Grant and Sons.  My guide Kyla(?, a strange name if my memory was right, an old lady.) Let me sit down and relax to enjoy some tea.  We had some basic talk and then enjoyed my first dram of