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Last week, I heard a rumour about an impending price increase at the LCBO. My first reaction was typical of the embittered Ontario consumer: a sigh and a resigned muttering: "First coffee, then hydro and now they're going after my whiskey..."

A quick search online yielded a description of the increase in the LCBO's minimum pricing structure and as outlined by the CBC "About 10 per cent of spirits sold by the LCBO and three to four per cent of beers will see their prices go up. A 24-bottle case of the cheapest beer will go up by 55 cents, from $28.80 to $29.35. A 750 mL bottle of a mainstream spirit will go up by 50 cents to $23.90."

"Meh. What's so bad about that?" I can hear you thinking. Small change right?

Well, maybe not...  

Alas t'is true....

With all due respect to baseball fans for this analogy, Whisky Live is fast becoming the only "Fall Classic" on the Toronto whisky aficionado's mind. With a host of exhibitors, whiskies from around the world, and a sea of devotees to the dram, this year's edition and its new confines in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre's North building certainly topped years past. Armed with a notebook, a press pass, and a Glencairn glass, Jeff and I had at it for your reading pleasure. 

Matchmaking has long been a skill that mankind has sought to perfect. But pairing a tasting of a Scotch whisky with a cult following with arguably Toronto's most venerated steakhouse may just be the pinnacle of such quests to occur in Toronto this year. 

In addition to our near unquenchable thirst for Scotch whisky, we at ScotchBlog.ca also have a torrid love affair with Bourbon. 

Following a trend started by renowned Portland bartender and mixologist, Jeffrey Morgenthaler, the Black Hoof in Toronto is now experimenting with barrel-aged cocktails.

The Guardian has published an interesting article on a new bio-energy plant being built at Rothes in the Speyside region of Scotland. What makes this plant interesting is that it generates energy by burning spent malt and other grains that were used in the distilling process to create scotch whisky. The plant will generate up to of 7.2 MW electricity, and steam generated by the plant will be used to heat nearby buildings (including a distillery).

Although this doesn't really come as a surprise, two British gentlemen have put to the test whether a new make spirit, fresh from distillation has enough energy to actually power a car. They use a Bruichladdich x4 distilled spirit to power a high-performance race car. Their results are demonstrated in this YouTube video

On my final day in Boston last week I had the great fortune to stumble upon a place at least equally worth a visit as any of the historical sites the city has to offer. Especially if you are a fan of whisky or wine.

Located at 29 State Street (near the corner of State and Congress Street), and tucked into a corner of the building,  Federal Wine and Spirits is a tiny shop that most would dismiss when just looking through the window. Aisles that at first glance appear too tight, shelves that look ready to give way due to the sheer volume on them, and a nearly hidden staircase to the wine cellar in the back give the impression that you might want to keep walking. Do not give in to this impulse in any way!

Once inside I had further luck in meeting manager Joe Howell (a man even more unassuming than the fantastic vault he curates) and begin a near 90 minute discussion of all that Federal had to offer. After a brief chat about what we all must suffer through here in Ontario with regard to the LCBO's monopoly on the market and big-box store view to overall customer service, Joe proceeded to offer up a quick 3 dram tasting flight to aid me in my decision making.

Beginning with a Springbank 14 year old, it's peaty-citrus smoothness was just about the perfect warm up dram given that we'd just gone past noon. After mentioning that I was on the hunt for something from a closed distillery and a little more on the upper side of 15 years old, Joe treated me to a 21 year old Mortlach from Gordon & MacPhail. Beginning with the faintest sherry nose, a couple minutes of hand warming spurred the whisky to explode into cereal, honey, and leather with a spectacularly long finish. Although delicious, this Mortlach was not quite what I was looking for.

While sipping my way through these first two, I began to realise that any solo attempt to navigate the selection on offer would be nothing short of daunting. Carrying well over 200 different single malts, most of which are precariously perched on the upper shelves thoroughout the store, it is without hyperbole that I can assert that this is Boston's single malt Mecca. With that in mind, I strongly encourage anyone planning to take the time to dig through the selection in house to first call ahead and chat with Joe and to plan your visit in advance during off-peak hours. For, as much as I wish it would be, this is not the place where one can go "crate digging" the way we used to when hunting for a rare record.

After finishing off the Mortlach, and still pondering my next move, Joe presented me with the option I would ultimately settle on: a 1991 Gordon & MacPhail 17 year old cask strength Rosebank. Sipping on it now while writing this, I can say that I am thoroughly pleased with my decsion to make the purchase without sampling it and, fear not, the review will be up in the not too distant future.

Now just because I'd settled on a purchase, one might assume that my time in the store would end. But no. For while discussing the wine selection, the mechanics of operations, and all of the different tasting events offered, Joe completed the trifecta by offering up a sample of Laphroaig's astonishing 30 year old expression. Now I'm a big fan of the peaty, smokey Islay malts, and I'm obviously prone to being overly verbose at times, but this was just ... wow. Stunning. Find it. Buy it. Enjoy it. I cannot wait to have it again and if it were not for Canada's customs limits on bringing back spirits, this bottle would have come with me.

After finishing off this idol of Islay, I took a few more minutes to discuss and explore. Some other elements of note at Federal Wine and Spirits:

• Pre-ordering whiskies prior to their arrival is not only an option, but encouraged.
• Wednesday nights feature regular free wine tastings. Be sure to call ahead.
• The wine selection is both hidden downstairs and astonishing

In closing, I must say that Boston was already one of my favourite cities in the United States due to its fantastic food, incredible history, and the delightfully friendly demeanor of its denizens. But now, I've got one more reason to return as soon as possible.

 

After much anticipation, the contents of a whisky crate from Ernest Shackleton's 1908 British Antarctic (Nimrod) Expedition were revealed on Friday.

A team of Antarctic Heritage Trust and Canterbury Museum Conservators have been examining and working on the crate for the last two weeks in a purpose-built cool room. As the ice inside gradually thawed, the team was able to examine the contents, and eventually lift out several intact bottles labelled 'Mackinlay's Rare Old Highland Malt Whisky'...

[Read the full story here] 

James Gilpin, a British art student is making whisky from his grandmother's urine. Gilpin Family Whisky was started as a project to utilize the sugars excreted in diabetics urine.

While the urine itself isn't distilled, the sugars are removed using a process similar to water purification, and then used during the fermentation stage of the whisky production. This author would definitely be interested in sampling said whisky, but there are no plans to market it.

Whisky 'petrol' for cars developed by university

Edinburgh Napier University has developed a new biofuel made from whisky by-products.

It is the result of two years work by the universities biofuel research centre.

The £260,000 project was funded by Scottish Enterprise's Proof of Concept programme. It has been welcomed by WWF Scotland's director Dr Richard Dixon who said it would help a "clean environment" industry to reduce transport emissions.

As part of the research, the centre was provided with samples of whisky distilling by-products from Diageo's Glenkinchie Distillery in Edinburgh. It uses the two main by-products of the whisky production process which are "pot ale", the liquid from the copper stills, and "draff", the spent grains.

Continue reading here.

Source: BBC News.

With Father's day arriving this Sunday, perhaps you are like me and have yet to purchase a gift for the man who sired you. Well, if he's a single malt fan, or appreciates whisky in general, then here are six whiskies that I feel both fit the season and the occasion.

As is my custom, I have taken the time to roll through the LCBO's aggravating website to ensure that all bottles are in reasonable supply to save you some hassle.

Isle of Arran Robert Burns Single Malt Nicely priced at $41.95, this light, playful whisky delivers the pleasant notes of apple and vanilla with a hint of citrus. Ideal for those not enamoured with the rich peat or smoke elements that are often associated with Scotch whisky.

Speyburn 10 Year Old $47.05 is a fair price for this Highland malt. The butter cream and toffee elements will entice while its mild heat and quick finish render it a fine dram for the hot summer months.

Auchentoshan 12 Year Old More appropriate for the seasoned Scotch drinker, the upside is that $48.05 will not break the bank. A heady mix of salt and iodine with toffee and almonds combined with a fair bit of heat ensures that this whisky will challenge all but the most weathered palates. That said, if your dad likes a rough Scotch, this is the one for him.

Isle of Arran 12 Year Old Murray McDavid Margaux Finish $84 is well spent on this limited run independent bottling. Delightful notes of apricots, cognac, and red wine with a dry, lingering finish make this whisky an excellent one for late night summer conversations on the deck or the dock. The fact that the limited run means that there were only 3,000 bottles produced also enhances its value as a gift. There is but one caveat, you will have to order it online through the LCBO's Vintages service here, and present your dad with the receipt for the time being. Certainly gift worthy nonetheless.

Aberlour a'bunadh While difficult to pronounce, it is easy to find right now. Its $92.95 price tag may seem high until you realize that its 59.7% ABV cask strength means that it should be consumed with a splash of water, which translates into a bottle that will have considerable stamina on the shelf. Deep red in colour with flavours of cloves, nutmeg, red apples and brown sugar mean that this single malt will easily stand up to the flavours and aromas of the barbecue, while its shelf life should see it through to Christmas where this flavour profile will again be well suited.

Old Pulteney 17 Year Old Unfairly priced at $169.95 for those of us residing in Ontario (given that it can be bought at Gatwick Airport in England on a flight home for $64), solace can be found in the fact that this is a truly fantastic single malt worthy of a gift to your father. Butterscotch, vanilla, and a pleasant nuttiness lead the flavour profile while hints of mint dance through the remarkable cooling, dry finish. A perfect malt at any time of year, but especially now in the summer. If you have the $170 to spend, then forgive my whinging about price, and just buy this bottle for your dad as it is impossible not to enjoy it!

So there you have it. My recommendations for this father's day's last minute whisky shopping. For more recommendations you can find my Christmas Gift Guide here, although not everything listed is still available, so be warned. As usual, links to the full reviews are embedded in the titles of the whiskies, and as always, we welcome your feedback on this or any other article.

Happy gift buying!

Recently, Scotchblog was fortunate enough to be extended an invitation to a private tasting with Ian Millar, the Global Ambassador for Glenfiddich. Ian is truly a preeminent authority in the world of single malt scotch. Having met Ian a few times before, including at last years Whisky Live in Toronto, this was a rare opportunity to speak directly with the whisky master.

We braved a blustery, wet evening on the way to the Park Hyatt rooftop lounge, a classical and intimate whisky bar on the top floor of one of the cities grandest hotels. It features an outdoor patio which Ian recommends as a choice location to smoke a fine Cohiba along with some whisky. On this day however, we'd be confined to the indoors because you simply can't the take the rainwater out of the scotch.

Our visit began with a tour of the Glenfiddich's popular range of 12, 15, and 18 year old malts. The 12 and 15 remain consistent as ever, and readers will find them discussed extensively in previous articles. This time our sampling of the 18 year old was accompanied by a delicious maple creme brulee which provided a sweet, creamy offset to this deep and mature scotch, and it opened new levels of this otherwise more challenging expression. Once again, the importance of food pairings was underscored as the key to opening subtleties and hidden elements in both new and familiar whiskies. As Ian pointed out, people often take too-direct an approach to pairing food by accompanying whiskies with fare that accentuates the most prominent notes of the whisky, instead of counterbalancing the flavours to reveal a dram's true character.

We then moved on to the reason for Ian's visit to Toronto, the Canadian release of an extraordinarily rare 50 year old Glenfiddich single malt. We view it as something akin to the launch of an ultra rare supercar; a benchmark of the peak of craftsmanship in whisky to which others may aspire. Ian spoke at length about a unique contest sponsored by the Glenfiddich in recognition of the 50 year old coming to Canada, called North of 50, in which the entrants will nominate fathers and other great mentors. The prize for the 9 lucky winners and one guest is a trip to the Fairmont Springs Hotel in Banff, Alberta and an invitation to an exclusive tasting of the full Glenfiddich range and the new 50 year old, which will sell at over $25,000 CAD. If you know a scotch drinker worthy of nomination, submit your entry at www.glenfiddich.ca by July 1st.

We asked Ian, what makes the 50 year old a special malt and not just an old one? He replied that the liquid is comprised of two carefully selected 1955 casks to produce just 500 bottles of which they will release 50 bottles per year worldwide, and two of these bottles will come to Canada. The tasting notes describe this expression as a pale gold, harmonious and complex. The nose is vibrant with notes of rose petals, green tobacco leaf, oak and a hint of smoke. On the palate it begins with zesty orange marmalade, toffee and through a depth of layers including aromatic herbs and soft fruits. The finish is described as exceptionally long with dry oak and a trace of peat. Before our meeting was concluded, there were some additional rare treats.

We went on to sample the Glenfiddich 40 year old as well as a very limited private vintage 42 year old, both of which were very impressive, and will each be reviewed on the blog soon.

Thanks again to Ian for his time and Meghan of Jesson + Co. for putting the meeting together, we look forward to seeing you both again.