Beverage Dynamics is the largest national business magazine devoted exclusively to the needs of off-premise beverage alcohol retailers, from single liquor stores to big box chains, through coverage of the latest trends in wine, beer and spirits.
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/485350
www.beveragedynamics.com March/April 2015 • Beverage Dynamics 65 Scotch Whisky >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> love. Dark Origins also has an ABV of 46.8%, the highest of any whisky in our core range and another bold facet of the liquid's personality." Last year Islay native Bruichladdich re-launched its fl agship sin- gle malt, The Classic Laddie. The unpeated whisky is made from 100% Scottish malt and matured by the shores of Loch Indaal in premium American white oak casks. It carries no age statement and is bottled at 50% ABV. Judd Zusel of Rémy Cointreau USA says that at 100 proof, the whisky retains more fl avors from distillation. "Being less diluted its vis- cosity is richer, the mouthfeel is more complex, and the fi nish show- cases more barley notes, which are often dominated by oak at this age," NEW BLEND INTRODUCTIONS In the past two years, Johnnie Walker has launched two new whiskies in the U.S—18-Year-Old Johnnie Walker Platinum Label and Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve, which bears no age statement. The ven- erable brand contends that foregoing an age statement on the Gold Label affords the master blender more creative latitude to combine fl avors from different ages and different casks. "We aspire to always innovate and push the boundaries to craft a high quality product and ensuring integrity above all else," Cox says. "Platinum Label is likely the most precisely crafted blended Scotch whisky that Johnnie Walker has ever created. It delivers the depth and complexity expected from a full-fl avored Johnnie Walker blend. Then we have Gold Label Reserve, which carries no age statement. It is a fl avor-driven whisky that celebrates the art of blending." Category leader Dewar's recently released the limited edition De- war's 15-Year-Old Blended Scotch Whisky, one of only a few 15-year old blends in the U.S. Created by master blender Stephanie Macleod, it is comprised of carefully selected single malt and single grain whis- kies that were matured for a minimum of 15 years in Sherry and Bour- bon casks. Once blended, this skillfully crafted whisky is fi lled back into specially selected oak casks for an additional period of maturation to achieve enhanced smoothness and a longer, lingering fi nish. According to Macleod, "Dewar's 15-Year is a luxuriously smooth and enticing blend with notes of honey, coconut, vanilla and golden toffee. The palate slowly reveals the fl avors of succulent exotic fruits, citrus and green apple." The Grand Macnish range of blended Scotch whiskies, which includes a 12-year and 15-year marque, recently expanded with the launch of Grand Macnish Black Edition. Made in Glasgow, the bold and smoky extra-aged whisky is matured in double-charred Bourbon casks. It is a full-bodied Scotch with a sweet honey and peat-smoke nose, a rich mouth feel and a smooth, long fi nish. Adds Gary Shaw, executive vice president of national sales, "There are few blended Scotches on the market that use this type of extended aging in double-charred oak. We do this all while offering exceptional value to our customers. By intensifying the char on our Bourbon casks, the Scotch develops a more complex, smoky charac- ter. We have created a unique and complex Scotch without carrying an age statement." BD ROBERT PLOTKIN is a judge at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and author of 16 books on bartending and beverage management including Secrets Revealed of America's Greatest Cocktails. He can be reached at www.AmericanCocktails.com or by e-mail at robert@barmedia.com. NO AGE STATEMENTS HERE TO STAY R enowned malts like Auchentoshan Valinch, The Glenlivet Nàdurra and Bruichalddich's The Classic Laddie are at the forefront of a growing movement of Scotch brands going to market with "no age statement" (NAS) on their labels. The practice of stating the age of a whisky dates back to the turn of the last century and was intended to provide consumers with a means of distinguishing between various malts. However, how much time a whisky spends in wood is often an inaccurate gauge of quality. By law, Scottish whiskies carrying an age statement must estab- lish their age according to the youngest malt used in the blend. The legal proviso often imposes creative constraints on blenders who, for example, may want to add a small portion of a young malt to add lively, fruity notes to the blend. However, by doing so, it will dramati- cally lower the stated age of the fi nished whisky. "Non-aged declared single malt whiskies afford our master blenders with the freedom to combine fl avors from different ages and different casks. This adds a whole new dimension to the process of creating innovative single malts and blends," contends Brian Cox, director of Scotch whisky for Diageo North America. "It has been possible for us to explore this path as consumers are increasingly able to discern how important fl avor is when appreciating a great malt, whether or not an expression carries an age statement." Two of the Bruichladdich malts—The Classic Laddie and Port Charlotte Scottish Barley—have no age statements. Judd Zusel, vice president of marketing & innovation for Rémy Cointreau USA, believes that allowed Master Distiller Jim McEwan to deliver a consistent sig- nature fl avor profi le by using all the casks in the warehouse, instead of limiting him to a specifi c cask range based on age statements. "We believe Bruichladdich's uniqueness comes more from the ingredients used and its unique terroir than simply a number signifying an age statement," Zusel says. "Age is just a number, it doesn't neces- sary mean that the product is better because it is older." According to Raul Gonzalez, brand director for The Macallan and Highland Park, a growing number of producers are placing more em- phasis on factors like maturation techniques, desired color and fl avor profi le than actual time spent in wood. "With no statement whiskies, we're taking things a step forward and saying this isn't about the age, it's about what the consumer wants and the skills of the whisky maker," he says. "These whiskies give us a chance to showcase an- other side of the brand's character and let the liquid do the talking." "I wouldn't necessarily say age statements limit creativity, but I would say that non-age statement whiskies allow for greater creativity," says Amy Schwartz, brand activation manager for Distell USA. "I think foregoing an age statement affords master distillers a greater oppor- tunity to show what their whiskies can really do. There will always be the skeptics who'll think age equates to quality, but those aren't the consumers who suppliers should be targeting anyway. Non-age statements are an exciting development. They're like the rebels of the whisky world!"