To be honest, this blog should really just have one line: “go and read ‘Malt Whisky: The Complete Guide’ by the inestimable Charlie Maclean”. There is no better guide to nosing and tasting than that part of this book. Prop it up in front of you, with your nosing glass and sample holding the pages open, and follow the step by step instructions. Not only the “how to”, but also what to look for – the whorls, the legs, everything. Charlie makes it not only instructive but also fun. And that’s what nosing should be!
So, instead of repeating what he says, here’s my personal list of tips written from the perspective of someone for whom this is part of their job – and which may or may not apply to you as everyone is different!
It’s a journey: there’s no one stop on the road, no single destination. A journey of experience and pleasure.
Firstly, it sounds obvious but I had to learn this - surrender to your senses! Probably as a result of having trained as a lawyer, I have a relatively analytical mind. Once I start trying to mentally analyse a sample, I’m lost! I have to “switch off” that part of my brain, which can be difficult if I have been doing something at work first where that part of it is being used (such as drafting a document, or working on a stock spreadsheet).
Note down your first impressions – for me, that’s particularly important as I haven’t yet started trying to analyse it.
Choose a moment when you are relaxed, when you can surrender to and enjoy the experience. For me, that’s the first thing in the working day – before my mind starts getting clouded by everything else, before I’ve switched on the part of my mind that tries to (for example) work out problems on a spreadsheet. Often I write tasting notes at weekends, again because I’m more relaxed and that’s how the whisky will be experienced – with friends, as part of an evening out, before or after a meal. Not in an office surrounded by samples and work problems!
Some people are particularly sensitive to certain notes – a colleague of mine always finds green apples, so he adjusts for this. So be self-aware – is there anything that always comes through for you? I have put together a panel of three of us within the business to act as a check on each other when it comes to blends – three because there will always be a majority. It’s surprising how many times someone finds a note strongly, and the other two will look completely mystified.
But, having said this, don’t hesitate to share or note down your impressions – however “wrong” or “odd” they may seem. Equally surprisingly, an opinion hesitantly put forward on our nosing panel can be confirmed by the other two after going back and reviewing the sample. It’s like looking at a painting – everyone sees something different. Or it’s like being part of a football team – everyone has a different role to play but each contributes towards the goal.
Nosing with someone else and discussing the whisky is not only fun but very helpful. Discuss what you find, listen to the other person. And laugh and chat your way through the process.
Let the sample sit, go back to it later to see what else you find. What layers of experience are there?
Use the flavour wheel in Charlie’s book as a starting point (there are many versions, but this for me is the best one). Navigate your way to the section which seems the most appropriate and go from there.
Work up a flavour map of your whiskies – choose two main characteristics (light or heavy, level of sweetness). Next time you nose, it will jog your memory and (together with the flavour wheel) start you on the road. If you want to take this one step further, look up the make in Charlie’s book (he has a section on each) to see how the method of production and the maturation makes the whisky how it is.
And, although I know I have said it so many times already, have fun (and buy Charlie’s book)!
WRITTEN BY ISABELLA WEMYSS
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You will need:
To make a Smoky Old Fashioned:
If your true love adores the rich aromas of bitter espresso, surprise them with a bottle of Smoky Shores this Valentine’s Day. With intense smoke and explosive citrus notes on the palate, before bitter espresso brings in the finish, they’ll be glad to share a dram of Smoky Shores into the wee hours.
Enjoy a night out in Edinburgh and treat your love to an evening of cocktails at The Cocktail Mafia in Edinburgh. A fusion of trendy glamour and elegance with a theatrical flair, newly opened The Cocktail Mafia’s experimental and adventurous range of cocktails has something for everyone. We’re partial to ‘The Five Families’, featuring Spice King in a twist on the NY Sour, but we’ll let you follow your heart’s desire.
If you’d regularly find your Valentine wandering old bookshops and exploring antique stores, they’ll love Vintage Chesterfields. A 30 year old Invergordon single cask single grain whisky, they’ll love the way this whisky develops from sweet, almost rum-like notes through to dry walnut and raisins, evocative of oloroso sherry. Perfect for sipping in a cosy nook together.
Spend some quality time together this Valentine’s Day, cooking your favourite meal and indulging in some cocktails at home. For a simple and romantic serve, try the Spice King Fizz. Go all out and enjoy alongside bittersweet dark chocolate truffles or pair with a cheese board.
Here’s how to make the Spice King Fizz
25ml Spice King Blended Malt Whisky
1 sugar cube
3 dashes Angostura bitters
Prosecco
Directions:
1) Soak a sugar cube in 3 dashes of Angostura bitters
2) Add to a champagne flute
3) Pour in 25ml Spice King
4) Top with Prosecco
5) Enjoy!
If you just can’t pick, you can’t go wrong with the Bold Trio. Featuring The Hive, Spice King and Peat Chimney, enjoy a dram of each as part of an evening of whisky tasting. Take a twist on a traditional tasting and explore whisky highballs. We’d recommend picking up your favourite soda water, a bottle of ginger ale, and cloudy lemonade, but above all have fun and experiment together.
WRITTEN BY ELEANOR ROBSON
]]>Our latest single cask releases Clove Studded Oranges and Jam on Toast, were both extracted from sherry casks. We asked Isabella Wemyss, our Wemyss Malts founder to tell us more about about the influence of sherry casks on the spirit.
Sherry casks (either 500 litre butts, or 250 litre hogsheads) are one of the two main types of casks used to mature Scotch in (the other one being bourbon barrels).
Sherry used to be exported from Spain to the UK in casks for bottling, so the empty casks were used in the Scotch industry rather than shipping them back to Spain. In 1981, new regulations in Spain meant that all sherry had to be bottled there and so casks were no longer coming to the UK. Sherry casks are usually now seasoned by being filled with sherry for up to a few years in Spain, before being emptied and transported to the UK. In rare cases, a sherry cask which had previously been used to mature sherry in Jerez “bodegas” will become available, but this is usually only when the bodega has closed or there is some damage to the cask and so the Scotch industry depends almost entirely on new seasoned casks.
In choosing the style of maturation, the distiller chooses how long the sherry remains in the cask so the wood becomes impregnated with sherry and some of the harsher wood elements are removed by the sherry, rendering the cask suitable for Scotch maturation. The distiller also chooses what type of sherry is used for seasoning - from sweet Pedro Ximenez, through rich Oloroso, to the light Fino, Amontillado or Palo Cortado. Oloroso is the most common type used for seasoning, and imparts rich “Christmas cake” (dried fruit, baking spices) type flavours to Scotch.
Sherry casks can be made from either European or American oak – apart from the influence of the sherry which has previously been in the cask, this is the other main influence on flavour. European oak imparts dry and spicy tannins to the spirit, together with a darker colour; whilst American oak will impart a more golden colour and sweeter gentler flavours.
Sherry casks can be refilled with Scotch several times, and after each filling the influence of the sherry and wood will be less. This is not necessarily bad, as a light spirit may be more suited to this type of cask when it is being matured for longer as it would otherwise be overcome by all the wood influence and destroy the character of the spirit. A perfectly matured Scotch should be a balance of the influence of the cask, but the character of the spirit should still be apparent. And of course the changes which take place during a longer maturation will develop more complex flavours inviting a deeper exploration.
WRITTEN BY ISABELLA WEMYSS
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The festive period is now upon us, and what better way to celebrate than with a rich, chilled glass of Eggnog. We've created a twist on the traditional cocktail with the addition of The Hive, adding mouth-watering citrus and honey notes to the serve.
Make your own Eggnog with The Hive at home, following these easy steps :
50ml The Hive
50ml Full Fat Milk
20ml Double Cream
1 Egg
15ml Blossom Honey
Honeycomb and Nutmeg Dust (to garnish)
Show us your home made creations by tagging us on Instagram!
]]>This week we sat down with our Production Director and business owner, Isabella Wemyss, to learn more about her role here at Wemyss Malts.
Isabella plays a crucial role in several successful family businesses across the globe, which we will learn helped shape her expertise used in the production of Wemyss Malts whisky. Isabella oversees all of the production and logistics operations – although her passion is particularly maturation and blending for both our independent bottling business, Wemyss Malts, and Kingsbarns Distillery.
How did you get into the industry?
I originally trained as a lawyer, but I started out in the family tea business where I trained as a tea taster and I also had particular focus on the production operations. Both are proving incredibly useful in the whisky business – tea may sound very different, but there is a lot of commonality in the understanding of production, blending, stock management and particularly sensory assessment (we call it “spitting” in the tea world and “nosing” in the whisky world – and yes, the nose is used much more in assessing whiskies!).
What inspired you to pursue that path?
I always wanted to join the family business. Almost as far back as I can remember, I was particularly passionate about our tea business and I wanted to experience as much as possible about it - from the moment the leaves are plucked right through to the understanding of why the production methods lead to a particular tea and what its role in a blend is. It was a perfect training and experience for the whisky business!
I’m very aware of my responsibility for the quality of what is in each single bottle we produce!
That’s an interesting question, the industry has changed and developed so much even since I started out fifteen years or so ago! But I think one of the biggest must have been the imposition of heavy duties for imports into the USA and the impact on Scotch businesses. In my role, the cycle of supply of raw materials is always challenging – having good long-term relationships within the industry is important, although it’s a very friendly industry and I have never met anyone who wasn’t willing to help if they could!
The biggest challenge will be sustainability – how to make our industry so much more sustainable, particularly with the world’s eyes being focussed on Scotland with COP26. Sustainability is very important for us as a business, and we are already making steps, although there is so much more to do both for the industry and for us as a business.
In common with many people, it must be our 28YO Bunnahabhain release last year called “Untold Riches”. It is a lovely, rounded whisky with complex flavours from the maturation process – each dram is a journey of flavour exploration. It is now my gold standard.
ISABELLA WEMYSS
INTERVIEWED BY KRISTEN MCGHIE
To celebrate our Bold Scotch, we're sharing 2021's favourite serves for The Hive. Be sure to get creative and recreate these cocktails at home.
Please always drink responsibly.
50ml The Hive by Wemyss Malts
Small bottle of FeverTree Sicilian Lemonade
Lemon wheel to garnish
Cubed Ice
Highball Glass
Method: Grab your highball glass and fill with cubed ice. Pour in The Hive and top with lemonade. Garnish with your lemon wheel.
50ml The Hive by Wemyss Malts
Chunk of ginger
Squeeze of lemon juice
Lemon wheel to garnish
Ice
Stemmed glass
Blender
Method: Add The Hive, your chunk of ginger, a squeeze of lemon and your ice to the blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into your glass and garnish with your lemon wheel.
50ml The Hive by Wemyss Malts
Small bottle of FeverTree Rhubarb and Raspberry tonic
Mint sprig to garnish
Cubed Ice
Highball Glass
Method: Grab your highball glass and fill with cubed ice. Pour in The Hive and top with rhubarb and raspberry tonic. Garnish with your mint sprig.
50ml The Hive by Wemyss Malts
Squeeze of lemon
Blueberry honey*
Meringue to garnish
Cubed ice
Short rocks glass
Cocktail shaker
Method: Add The Hive, your squeeze of lemon, honey, blueberries and some ice into your cocktail shaker. Shake for 30 seconds and then strain into your glass. Add cubed ice to your glass and garnish with a piece of meringue.
*To make the blueberry honey: buy some high quality blueberry jam and cut with equal parts of clear honey.
WRITTEN BY BETHANY PLEVRI
]]>A very limited number of bottles of Untold Riches have been made available to visitors at Kingsbarns Distillery. Make sure to stop by to pick up a bottle if you're in Fife.
BUNNAHABHAIN SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
AGED 28 YEARS
31 HOGSHEAD AND SHERRY BUTT CASKS
NATURAL COLOUR
NON CHILL-FILTERED
Our adoration of this lauded Islay distillery led us to craft this limited edition Bunnahabhain single malt from casks that have been unhurriedly maturing for over 28 years.
To create this malty-sweet Islay whisky, our blenders carefully selected 31 hogshead and sherry butt casks from several parcels of decades old, unpeated Bunnahabhain to blend into a single malt with a depth of untold riches.
The resulting whisky has an abundance of cereal rich and dried fruit flavours, an oily, mouth coating body and a subtle saffron spice finish. It has been bottled at 49.1% ABV; a strength found to be an ideal complement to the whiskies flavours as well as being non chill-filtered and natural colour.
The eagle eyed amongst you might have spotted our spelling error on Bunnahabhain distillery. It's unfortunate, but we've chosen to take the more sustainable route not to reprint. We can assure you that it is in fact Bunnahabhain single malt in each bottle and hope our spelling won't put you off this exceptional whisky!
Limited bottles of Untold Riches available at
Kingsbarns Distillery and Visitor Centre,
East Newhall Farm
Kingsbarns
KY16 8QE.
Blending whisky is an art – and it is a big part of Scotch’s history. The practice was introduced in the 1860s by the ‘godfather’ of blended whisky, Andrew Usher in Edinburgh, and blending helped to put Scotch whisky on the world stage. Today, the biggest Scotch whisky brands on the planet are blends – and they date back to the same era.
Blended malt is just that: a blend of single malt Scotch whiskies from more than one distillery. And the beauty of a blend is that a skilled blender can accentuate certain notes, adding all kinds of nuanced flavours to create a whisky that is versatile. This makes blends a great bet for all kinds of drinks – from sophisticated solo sippers, right through to even the most complex cocktails.
Vibrant blend The Hive’s recipe is divided into three segments: the base, support and signature malts – and the whisky is created using all Speyside malts. Steven Shand, blender at Wemyss Malts explains that the region has a vast amount of single malt variety, including light, nutty, spicy, oily, light fruit, rich fruit, meaty and even smoky characteristics.
“The base of the Hive is made from a variety of Speyside malts to provide a malty, cereal-rich and sweet foundation to the smooth, medium-bodied blend,” he explains. “The support Speyside is richer, with dried fruit flavours and this adds some depth to the blend.”
Lastly, he says that the signature malt is an ester-rich malt with lots of citrus fruits and floral character, thanks to long fermentation times, clear wort, shell and tube condensation and the early cut point of the new make distillation.
“The combination of all of these variations of Speyside whisky lead to a sweetness that we describe as ‘sweet as honey’, as it has depth, richness and both floral and fruity notes,” he says.
At Wemyss, the blended malts are primarily aged in refill casks that showcase the fruity quality of Speyside. This helps with the consistency of the liquid from one year to the next. And it is also part of the fun of blending – first-fill casks, for example, can provide a range of intensity of flavours such as vanilla, coconut and spice. So, it really depends on what a blender is trying to achieve.
When it comes to using a blend like The Hive in mixed drinks, Shand says the aim should be to use a soft drink that matches the sweetness and approachability of the whisky.
“Soda would have diluted and dried out the whisky and ginger beer worked OK, but overwhelmed the whisky,” he says. “A good quality cloudy lemonade really enhances the floral and fruity flavours in the whisky, while matching the same amount of sweetness.”
So, here’s how to make The Hive and Cloudy Lemonade:
INGREDIENTS:
OTHER ITEMS:
METHOD:
Pour The Hive whisky into a highball glass full of ice. Top with cloudy lemonade and garnish with a lemon wheel.
The Hive malt whisky is available with four free bottles of The Hive and Cloudy Lemonade HERE.
]]>"I’m a marketer by trade, but my career has been a wonderful zig-zag! I’ve been everything from a Bar Manager to a football coach in The USA. Marketing has been the constant however, and I’ve worked in many different roles, with work in whisky and gin being a continual feature. When I ran my own consultancy and video production company, I had a number of clients in the spirits world, from startups to brand giants, and ultimately that work is what lead to me becoming Head of Content for Wemyss Family Spirits.
I love telling stories, and the whisky world is full of them, from the highly crafted liquid itself, to the people and places that make whisky what it is. My role really centres around that very thing – making sure we give people the chance to come along with us as we push Wemyss Malts further down the path of its own tale.
You’ll often find me out in the fresh air with a camera and a crew, creating videos and imagery that can be seen across our social media, websites and beyond. I try my best to be as creative as possible, as we’re operating in an area that has a lot of noise and competition. It’s about constantly driving things forward and adapting.
When it comes to whisky, I like to keep it simple, I tend to drink it neat, but am also very partial to an Old Fashioned or Whisky Sour. This shot was taken on a recent photo-shoot in a bar, I’ve made an Old Fashioned with The Hive – I love the contrast of the sweet notes and the sharpness of bitters."
Follow Mike's whisky journey on Instagram at @wemyss_mike
]]>"When I founded Wemyss Malts back in 2005, I did so to source a small number of high quality casks to bottle as Single Casks based on enquiries from customers of our French wine business. They kept asking ‘why does a Scottish family own a French vineyard? Where’s the Single Malt?' It is a source of huge pride to see what’s happened to the business since, and the fact that it remains very much family owned and run. Long may that continue.
In terms of my specific role, I love the variety, as no two days are the same. About the only thing I never do is actually distill! Pre-pandemic, I would travel regularly to overseas markets to meet with our import partners; these relationships date back many years and are very important to us. I cant wait to get back out there again when Covid permits. The past year has seen Zoom become my best friend, whether that’s on calls with the team or others. Roll on a more normal world!"
Follow William's whisky journey at @wemyss_william
“I began my career by studying hospitality management at San Francisco State University and working in the hotel industry. I decided to move to Taiwan and immerse myself in the whisky industry, working in marketing for a variety of drinks companies. I then became the Regional Sales Manager for Asia for a distillery. My love of travelling suited this role perfectly, as I could explore different Asian countries and learn as much as I could about their market, culture and consumer behaviour.
When Wemyss Family Spirits advertised for a Regional Sales Manager for Asia, I jumped at the chance and met with William Wemyss a few weeks later, as he was in Taiwan to visit a distributor and host tasting sessions. Fast forward five years and I enjoy every minute of working for the company!
Although I am based in Taiwan, I overlook the entirety of Asia-Pacific. Taiwan is located centrally for key markets within Asia, so I can travel between these markets easily. I am the only person in the team based outside of Europe, however everyone at Wemyss Family Spirits helps and supports one another; we are like one big family despite the distance.
Our wide variety of fantastic products makes my sales career very easy. My favourite drink is our limited edition Peat Chimney Batch Strength 002 at 57% ABV; it’s the perfect drink for the weather in Taiwan and is a fantastic accompaniment to Chinese food – even spicy Kung Po Chicken!”
Follow Jason’s whisky journey on Instagram at @wemyss_jason
]]>Next up in our Meet the Team series is Ben Stewart, our Director of UK and European Sales.
"I started off as a silver service waiter 21 years ago and I haven’t looked back. My Grandma owned the Cambo Arms Hotel (now The Inn at Kingsbarns) in Kingsbarns for most of my childhood, so I got to know the hospitality industry fairly early on. I loved how it felt like one big family.
From the age of 18 I spent almost 5 years learning more about the industry, working in a few bars and doing my best Tom Cruise impressions in Tonic in Edinburgh, before taking the leap into sales with a role at Diageo. I knew early on that I wanted to learn as much about this industry as I could and experience as many of the categories as possible. From the ages of 23 to 34 I held various roles at Diageo, Red Bull, BrewDog and Chapel Down, before finally ending up where I always wanted to - in Scotch Whisky.
I feel that the independently owned and operated businesses are where I can really be myself and really feel like I play a part in the bigger picture. Wemyss Family Spirits is the perfect match for that.
We are a small independent family-owned business which means you have to roll your sleeves up and get stuck into parts of the business you might not normally get to experience in a larger company. I am excited for the challenges and opportunities that come up every day and I always make sure I go to bed a little bit smarter.
Today I've gone for my favourite drink, a Spice King Old Fashioned. I love the classic cocktails. A few brilliant ingredients with all the focus being on the spirit. Simple and perfect.”
Follow along with Ben’s journey on Instagram at @mrbenstewart
]]>Wemyss Malts have done it again! This year Paragraph Publishing’s World Whisky Awards has recognised our whisky releases awarding a slew of medals for our finest releases from the past 12 months.
Spice King Highland and Islay features casks of single malts sourced from the Scottish Highland Islands and Islay to create a peppery and malty dram with a zesty kick. The World Whisky Awards bestowed this punchy malt whisky a silver for its moreish flavours and inviting herbal smokiness.
EXPLORE SPICE KING ORKNEY AND ISLAY
Last year saw the triumphant return of Velvet Fig in the form of a illustrious 25 year old which recieved a silver award from the World Whisky Awards. Savour the combination of sherry cask matured Speyside, Highland and unpeated Islay that once combined together reveal rich and dried fruit notes and velvety smooth body.
The complex and peppery Spice King was awarded a bronze medal in the blended malt category of the World Whisky Awards. Noted for its juxtaposition of sweet, spice and peppery smoke this whisky is perfect in a ginger ale highball or Old Fashioned.
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Join Wemyss Malt on Islay for a masterclass at the first ever Indie Whisky Fèis Ìle. Whisky blender and brand manager Steven Shand will take attendees through a selection of Wemyss Malts whiskies including several outstanding single cask single malts from Islay, many well over 30 years old. The culmination of the tasting will be a collaborative blending session giving attendees the chance to select, blend and bottle their own take home version of the Wemyss Malts classic; Peat Chimney. The tasting will take place at 1.00pm at Bowmore Town Hall on the 30th of May as part of The Indie Whisky Fèis Ìle. Tickets for this tasting are £15.