Glenmorangie Signet

The FNB Whisky Live Festival 2010 held little that was new and interesting in the way of untried whiskies, with the exception of a few malts. The ludicrously bling bottle and casing of Glenmorangie's Signet stood out, but what was inside was even better.

This whisky, which is a culmination of over 20 years worth of ideas and 10 years of actual vision is priced at R1899 a bottle: a hefty price for an un-aged whisky in a market which has had increasing onus placed on the age of a malt (single or blended). However, the quality is evident from the nose to the finish and the fact that it tastes so amazing should over-rule any skepticism you have about it. For those who still want an age, the minimum is a 10 year-old (stored in designer casks of American oak made specifically for Glenmorangie), along with a variety of different sherry and oak casks, storing some single malts for up to 35 years.

What makes this whisky unique is its 15-20% composition of a chocolate malted barley. This barley is not of a different variety, but it is dried or roasted for longer, similar to ales, which is why it has the darker amber colour. A usual barley tastes sweet and almost like a cereal, whereas the chocolate malt is hard, charred and caramelized. This is also why such a coffee taste comes through in the whisky. The chocolate malt has been described as the espresso of malts compared to a regular cappuccino. It has resulted in a very untraditional bottling from this well reputed distillery.

Starting from swirling the liquid in a glass you can see it's extraordinary viscosity as the vapour trails stick to the sides. The nose is full of coffee notes, apricot, citrus and hints of chocolate with an anticipation of sweetness, which follows through into a sweet tasting, spice filled, flavour explosion with a long dry finish.

If you can afford this bottle, it won't disappoint. Get me some more is all I can say...

£100000 for a bottle of Scotch...

The world of whisky is one of quality where age comes into play, with time spent in a cask increasing the price. A really great 21-year old will set you back more than £100 but usually not too much more. Last week, two bottles of Dalmore Trinitas sold for £100 000, the highest figure ever paid for a bottle of whisky. The 64-year old single malt is said to contain some of the oldest whiskies in Scotland, some which have been quietly waiting in casks around Cromarty Firth for more than 140 years.

The Dalmore’s Master Distiller Richard Paterson used his expertise to fuse a range of these exclusive malts together. He claimed this was not about breaking world records but about making the best whisky money can buy.

Whisky 101

Before my next post, I figured I'd explain a little bit about whisky so that you understand the basics. Whisky, spelt with a "y" at the end is the spelling for Scotch, whereas Irish and American (bourbons) are spelt with an "ey".

The name "whisky" comes from the ancient Scottish and Irish Gaelic names for "water of life", Malt Whisky is made from malted barley. Malting the barley causes it to germinate, converting the starch into sugars which makes fermentation possible. The malt is then dried over a peat-burning furnace. Peat is the dried soil and gives the whisky a distinct flavour. After fermentation, distillation takes place in a pot still. The process is usually repeated twice.

Isley whiskies which are often referred to as "peaty" have a very strong flavour, sometimes described as medicinal. This is because the peats from the islands and coastal areas have a much higher seaweed content which imparts the strong flavour which a small handful enjoy, A common example is Laphroaig.

Single Malt whisky is malt whisky made in only one distillery and not blended with any other product from elsewhere. It may contain whisky from several production batches made over a couple of years. A popular example is Glenfiddich.

Blended Whisky has a variable proportion of blended malt and grain whiskies. A grain whisky is made from unmalted barley or other unmalted grain such as maize or wheat.

Check out these sites to get in the know on distilleries, etc.

http://www.scotchwhisky.net/

http://www.edinburghwhiskyblog.com/

http://www.whisky.com

FNB Whisky Live Festival

It's almost that time of year again, the FNB Whisky Live Festival is returning to Cape Town at the CTICC from the 3rd to the 5th of November and Johannesburg at the Sandton Convention Center from the 10th to the 12th. Now in its 8th year running the festival has grown wildly in popularity and attracts a diverse range of people from connoisseurs to those new to the world of whisky. According to worldwide sales South Africa is the 5th largest drinker of whisky by volume and the market is rapidly spreading into the younger generation of adults. Having been fortunate enough to have attended last years festival for all three nights I can say that the R180 entrance fee is well worth your money. The selection of whiskies available to try is superb and the innovators behind Whisky Live have added heaps of new features to the festival for 2010. Book your tickets online for Cape Town here or Johannesburg here as it is sure to be an event not worth missing.