The Greatest Consumer of Scotch Whisky?

I am not what you would call a 'soldier of the mind' nor an intellectual.  But, I do try to keep abreast on what the hell is going on in the world, and so I do on occasion pick up The Economist.

I know, I know, you're thinking who the hell is he trying to impress?  Like who cares?  I hear ya brother.  Most of the time I read the articles not understanding what I am reading, but hoping by reading it some sort of osmosis action will take place and maybe I can drop an interesting tidbit at a party or get-together with other psuedo intellectuals.

In any case, I did come across an interesting article worth drawing your attention to.  It's entitled:  Whisky Galore: Which Countries Import Most Scotch  Whisky?   Without looking at the article, try and guess which country imports the most scotch whisky.  The United States, Ireland, Scotland, Hong Kong, China, Singapore?  Go on. Guess.  What about Russia?  They have a market economy (ok, with some growing pains) and a growing middle and upper middle class.  Who do ya think?  You'll never guess correctly.  Go ahead try anyway.

And the answer is: France!  What?  Yup! that's no typo mate!

The above chart was taken from the aforementioned Economist article.  Pretty shocking!  I mean who would a' thunk it?  If I had to guess it would have been the United States as they have the population and wealthy middle and upper middle class consumers.  Guess I was wrong. 

The article also goes on to discuss the emerging middle classes in South America that is responsible for the greatest amount of growth of sales.  It's a good thing in my opinion.

I gotta go but read the article.  Don't worry it's short and there is no test.  Ain't it great when I'm the teacher?

Cheers!



Jason Debly

Copyright © Jason Debly, 2009-2010. All rights reserved.

Johnnie Walker Blue Label - Revisited!

Note:  This is an update of my previous, more detailed review.  For the tasting note of Johnnie Walker Blue Label, click here.


Well, I am sipping some Johnnie Walker Blue Label. The bottle came from my wife, as a gift for Father’s Day, and I just got around to opening it a month or so ago.

I like this less and less, the more I drink it. It’s not bad, but gee, is it ever overrated or what? On the plus side, it is smooth, a bonus for hack amateur whisky critics like myself. It seems that only really strong, throat burning whiskies, at cask strength (read over 80 proof) attract the praise of whisky critics these days. If a whisky, scotch or bourbon is a mere 80 proof, it is somehow, automatically lacking in some way. Gimme a break! I hate dogmatism in politics, economics and religion and also in scotch appreciation.

I recognized a similar phenomenon in the world of wine criticsm a few years ago. Robert Parker, the esteemed wine critic, heaped praise on wines that were bold, robust and generally dominated by oak on the palate. So, powerful was he that sales of delicate, non-oakey (not a word, but I just invented it this very moment) languished while Napa Valley oak bombs like Silver Oak flourished. Delicate and complex French Pinot Noir (ie. Louis Jadot) sales suffered because ol’ Robbie Parker scored them lower due to a lack of oak and robust flavor profile.

Similarly, the scotch whisky critics like Jim Murray, (I really do pick on him too much, but he’s such an easy target) seem to heap the praise on those cask strength whiskies that are 114 proof and up! You need to water them down with a fire hose, otherwise you essentially sear your mouth with a flame-thrower.

So, on the plus side, the ol’ Johnnie Blue Label is smooth, which in itself is not a problem. What else can I say? I dunno. I taste white cake bread and caramelized onions. On the con side, I am really not impressed. There is some smoke and peat, but not very interesting. I would not buy this. If I am going to drop a lot of money for a high end blend it will be Ballantines 17yr old, Famous Grouse 18 or 30yrs, and Royal Salute. Famous Grouse 18 and 30 year old blends offer up more complexity and interesting flavor profiles than Johnnie Walker Blue. The difference between the Famous Grouse bottlings and Johnnie Blue is the amount of marketing dollars involved. I really believe that Johnnie Walker Blue is all about marketing. The silk lined box, blue-green colored glass bottle, the quaint little booklet, individually numbered bottles and the snobby advertisements are what sell this blended scotch. If you put those same marketing dollars behind Famous Grouse 18 or 30 year old blended scotch whisky, they would achieve the same level of sales, if not better, as they are better blends.

I want to review Famous Grouse 18 and 30yr old, but just don’t have the funds right now to purchase them. The 30yr old, in particular, blows Blue Label out of the water, based on my recollection. Anyway, that’s all I have to report for now.

Cheers!


Jason

Glenfiddich 12 year old - Single Malt Scotch Review

Motivation for Writing this Review
I receive a lot of email from people who read my reviews wanting advice on a good “starter” or “entry level” single malt scotch to try. I also have gotten more than one gripe from people who complain I tend to review very expensive, high end spirits. So, in response to those emails, here is a review that is dedicated to the casual consumer of scotch who wants to try a good, middle of the road single malt scotch that will not break the bank.

Iconic Symbol of Scotch for the everyday person?  There are two images conjured up by the mind of Joe Q Public when he hears the words “scotch.” He will first think of the trademark symbol of the “striding man” of Johnnie Walker advertisements followed closely by the image of a green, triangular Glenfiddich bottle that you invariably see on the shelves behind most bars around the world.

Nose (undiluted)
Delicate, subtle scented tendrils of white chocolate and maraschino cherry drift upwards in a most pleasing manner. You have to pay close attention to detect this bouquet.

Palate (undiluted)
Initially sweet, honey like taste, moving to heather, tarragon, then vanilla and oak.

This is a viscous (think oily texture) dram such that the scotch rolls thickly all over the palate and in that manner not as refined as more expensive single malts (ie. Highland Park 18 yr old) and even some blends (ie. Johnnie Walker Black). I am using the word “refined” in a certain manner. What I mean is with scotch whiskies that are refined, the various flavors are very well defined, such that you can pick them all out like the colored feathers of a peacock. Conversely, Glenfiddich 12 year old serves up a flavor profile where the various flavors are all rolled together in a non-distinct manner kind of like a television set out of focus or a LCD TV viewing an analog channel. While I would describe the flavor profile as unrefined, do not interpret this as a flaw. I am just attempting to describe the style or ambience of this scotch. One final point about the flavor profile that is worthy of note. There is very little if any peat

Finish
A salty ocean spray finish with some more heather. No burn here just a pleasing warming sensation as it goes down. Totally inoffensive. If you ever wanted to try drinking a dram of scotch “neat” (meaning without the addition of ice or water, just straight) this is the one.

I started out drinking scotch with lots of ice, as I did not enjoy the burn or warmth delivered by scotch, but over time my tastes evolved such that I required less ice until the present situation, where I drink scotch neat, mind you in little or tiny sips.

The “length” of this scotch, meaning how long the flavors linger in the mouth is very brief. What lingers though is a distinctly malty taste that is enjoyable with a little mint or lemon peel flavor accompaniment. Very nice.

Ice?
What happens if served with ice? Drink this with ice and the scotch becomes much more fruity. Flavors of grapefruit and pear come into play. Makes for a very refreshing beverage that goes down very easily on a hot summer’s day.

Conclusion
Glenfiddich 12 year old offers up an entry level single malt scotch that is reasonably priced and delivers an inoffensive and enjoyable tasting experience. If you are seeking to impress guests this would not be a suitable dram. While decent, inoffensive and pleasing, it is not complex, luxurious or interesting to the serious scotch aficionado. I recently had this when I walked off the golf course on a cold and blustery day and it warmed me and my spirit as I casually chatted with some golfers in the clubhouse. Perfect in that sort of setting.

Cheers!


Jason Debly

© Jason Debly, 2009-2012. All rights reserved.