What Happened Back Then?

Hi Everybody,

One of the most incredible aspects of the trade of wine and spirits it the history.  Of course, we know that Jefferson liked Hermitage, and Pepys loved Haut-Brion.  Shackleton had his legendary whisky to warm him to the south pole and Bonnie Prince Charlie invented Drambuie (for better or worse).  As the great boozy catalogue of history goes back in time we find bottles of wine and whisky that have become iconic despite their humble origins.

For instance, what was so auspicious about the distillation at Mortlach distillery on the 26th day of January 1957, that it has come down to this day so that I see what has become of it?  Probably nothing, to be perfectly fair.  In fact this is not the only Mortlach from the 1950's I've tasted, nor is it the oldest.  Basically it is a forgotten sherry cask from a distillery that produces a huge volume of whisky and consequently the result is a large amount of old, backlogged stock that can be bottled at an exceptionally old age.

But what does such old whisky taste like?  When I first put my nose in the glass I was reminded of my first visit to a 50-year-old Mortlach and was greeted by an intense wave of fiery booze.  Hugely alcoholic with hidden aromas of shoe polish, wood sealant and lemsip.  A bit of dry fruit found it's way through, but the 50 year contact with what I imagine was first-fill Oloroso left a hot, sticky mess of a whisky.

Unfortunately the 1953 distillation was not far removed from this effort.  It smelled of alcohol, almost as grainy as Glen's vodka and the flavour was dry and tannic, almost like a freshly cut sapling cured in pure ethanol.  In essence; unpleasant.

So why do bottles of whisky that are so old retain such a reputation for quality?  My thinking is that not enough people have tasted and criticised them.  I recall one day early in my career as a wine and whisky merchant selling a bottle of Mortlach 1936 (70 y-o) for £21,000 alongside a Glenfarclas 50 for £3,000 and a MacAllan 1940 for £2,000 all in one transaction to one collector.  All I can think is thank goodness someone bought it, and hopefully he will enjoy the way it looks on his mantlepiece as he tells his friend how much he paid for it all; because it sure as hell isn't going to taste very good!

I know I contradict myself when it comes to old whisky, because some of the best whisky I've ever had has been quite old (Brora 36, I'm talking about you!) but then again, it doesn't take an absurd age statement to be exceptional.  The youngest and sometimes cheapest in the lineup, Laphroaig Quarter Cask is far superior to the rest of the Laphraoig range (Up to the 25, after which I cannot say).  Likewise I prefer the 15 year-old offering from GlenDronach to the 18 though both are lovely.

But when you find a whisky that is exceptional just fo it's sheer age, it may well be that it was unremarkable for so long that the cask-manager thought they may as well leave it until they could sell it as a budget end 50 year old.  Because older is considered better for whisky, the market responds and the bottles are more expensive.  Consider this; Ardbeg Uigeadail is somewhere between 5 and 9 years old (technically) and it is consistently ranked as the best or among the best whiskies in the world.

There is a skewed sense of logic in the world of whisky and it is up to us, the dirnkers and the lovers of malt to seek out the gems.  I say we allow these ridiculously overpriced, overaged monstrosities to go up in price while we happily enjoy the balanced flavours of appropriately aged whiskies and live within the realms of reality.

Slainte Mhath,
G

A St. Andrews Brewery?!

Hey everyone!

Today I bring tidings of great excitement and hope.  For those of us here in St. Andrews, we have been long bombarded with the kitsch practice of booze companies producing their second-rate products and capitalising on the un-copyrighted name of our Auld Grey Toon for the sake of making 'The' St. Andrews version of their product.  Those of you who drink beer know that I am mostly talking about Belhaven.  Belhaven, aside from producing their typical mass-marketed "Best" (which is only slightly more palatable than Belhaven "Meh") produce a shameless brew known as St. Andrews Ale.

IPA, 70/- and the Oatmeal Stout

Now if this had a picture of Saint Andrew the apostle on his saltire crucifix, I would be totally apathetic about it's existence.  In fact, depending on the illustration of the blessed saint's martyrdom, I would applaud them for going all edgy-like.  As it stands, there is a ridiculously cliché picture of the Royal & Ancient.  That noble institution considered the heart of the golfing world, and something for St. Andrews to take pride in, is being used by a Dunbar-based slop-factory to promote a half-arsed beer meant to be our town's brew.  In a bar in Pittsburgh I found it being plied as "Scotland's Finest Craft Ale."  I nearly cried.  Scotland has so much to offer in the way of beer and, with any luck, so will St. Andrews itself.

This week I tasted some beers by the St. Andrews Brewing Co. and for a brand new company I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and style of the beers.  They aren't too flashy and the brewer obviously knows exactly what he's going for.  Individually, I thought one or two had some improvements ahead of them, but these are early days yet and I see nothing but good things in the future of this small operation.

I tasted five beers, across a range which is more or less representative of the classic beer styles, and in general they all pleased.  The first one I tried, the Fife Gold was nice and zesty with a good hop profile.  It could do with a hint more malt on the finish and it'll be up with Edinburgh Gold and Ossian as a delightful golden beer for easy drinking.  Either way, its a refreshing beer with a lot of positive qualities.  In general it's a good solid Gold.

Seventy Bob and Oatmeal Stout

The second was the IPA.  It has a good hoppiness for sure and a nice drying character.  That said, I thought this had a bit of work to be done for the next batch.  Again, it's a bit thin and a bit more maltiness could make this a classic style IPA that could stand out among the über-hop IPA's which seem to dominate the market.

The Neuk Ale was a very well balanced beer with a good maltiness, not quite a heavy, but rich and full flavoured with a nice deep amber colour.  I could happily have quite a few of these badgers and call it a successful session!

The Seventy Bob was a classic old-school 70/- with a great balance.  It avoids that cloying sweetness you get with MacEwans and Belhaven.  Overall, this was my favourite of the evening.

The Oatmeal Porter was a big, full bodied job with a nice bittersweet chocolate flavour and a lovely bit of dryness on the finish.  It was balanced and rich with a nice toastiness throughout.

While I think there is some work to be done, I can tell this guy has good touch with his beer and will continue to make better and better beers and I look forward to St. Andrews having a great brewery all it's own.  Afterall, the stuff did sell out very quickly from our shop, and it was after a general tasting, so the people must have liked it!  Definitely a big round of applause, and I look forward to all the great things the future will hold for St. Andrew's Brewing Co.

Much Love,
G