NOEL'S REFLECTIONS, REMINISCENCES AND RETROSPECTIVES

Thursday 9 February 2017

THE TRUE STORY OF THE BLACK DOG SCOTCH WHISKY

BLACK DOG SCOTCH WHISKY

Of International Appeal But Of Indian Concept

In the 19th century, the sun never set over the British Empire, so vast was its spread. Since the only mode of international cross-continental travel was by sea, the Empire invariably faced logistic and infrastructural problems as sea routes were subject to unpredictable weather conditions en route. While a great many problems could be resolved by local provisioning, the high and mighty faced problems in victuals like beef and pork and other supplies which could only be brought from back home, e.g., wine, alcohol and tobacco.

Herbert Musgrave Phipson (1850 – 1936), was a British wine merchant and naturalist who lived in Bombay (now Mumbai), India, from 1878 to 1905. He had come to India in 1878 as a partner in the firm of J. A. Forbes & Co., Bombay. In 1883, which was to become a year of some significance, he established his own company, Phipson & Co. Wine Merchants, Apollo Road, Bombay and employed Walter Samuel Millard (1864–1952), the seventh son of a Pastor and an educated, if impoverished, young bachelor who would become fairly knowledgeable about liquor, learning from his in-laws. Records show that Millard first set foot in India in early 1884.

HM PHIPSON

Phipson also served as the editor of the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society for twenty years – as the sole editor for fifteen years till 1901 and then a joint editor with Millard, who succeeded him as Honorary Secretary in 1906, when Phipson returned home due to his wife's continued sickness. W.S. Millard left India in 1920 for home. He might have been recognised but was certainly not knighted for his services to the Natural History Society and to the British Armed Forces as a provender of high-quality perishables.

Phipson and Co. expanded quickly and had outlets all over Asia, in present-day Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Burma, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and more, which required a lot of shuttling to and fro. Unfortunately for them, wine and alcohol seemed to be in short supply, mainly because they were sourced from home.

That year (1883), Phipson went to England to acquire all necessary ingredients for his business and set up contracts, particularly with stockists of Red, White and Rose Wines, Port, Sherry, Gin, Brandy and Whisky. Whisky could only be procured from Scotland. He employed Walter S. Millard (1864–1952), a 19-year-old educated bachelor to do the concomitant legwork. Both Millard and Phipson were pure Britishers, with nary a Scottish connection. This implied that Millard had to travel to Scotland, at best a tiring journey with poor transportation. He was to travel to Speyside and visit as many of the two dozen odd Glenlivet distilleries there, besides others. Phipson was leaving England when the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) was founded on 15 September 1883. He joined the BNHS in January '84.

WS MILLARD

Millard’s primary task was to take notes of all excellent Fine (5YO) or Rare (8 YO) Scotch Whisky that would suit the tropical climate of HM's Colonies in Asia, particularly Indian and other Asian countries. After touring the Speyside Region of Scotch Whisky distillers and blenders, he was to fetch up at James MacKinlay's site, an affluent blender then known as “The Royalty in Scotch Blenders.”

It was here, in Leith, Edinburgh, that he first met MacKinlay’s daughter, Sarah, with whom he fell in love and reached an understanding, an informal engagement.

By then, MacKinlay’s name and fame had started to circulate, to peak with his 15-YO blends that he would supply Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton between 1898 and 1907. Three bottles of 15-year bottled-in-1898 Mackinlay's Scotch Whisky were found in 2010 among three crates of Scotch and two of brandy buried beneath a basic hut Shackleton had used during his dramatic failed 1907-09 Nimrod excursion to the Antarctic.

In 1875, Charles registered the brand Mackinlays Vatted Old Benvorlich Scotch whisky and opened offices in London on Queen Victoria Street and at Crutched Friars. Thus, Mackinlays Vatted Old Benvorlich, one of the earliest blended Scotch whiskies to be marketed, was introduced to London.

He then purchased Corbett Borthwicks Warehouse, East Old Dock, Leith, in 1875 to use as his blending HQs.

James, son of Charles Mackinlay, established in 1815 (see label), was a second-generation whisky blender from the Leith family who produced a large number of brands of different ages, like Mackinlay's 'Fine Old Scotch Whisky' as five to seven-year-olds were known and 'Rare Old Scotch Whisky', the term for eight-year-olds. He was also a supplier of raw single malt whiskies to other Scotch brands that were sprouting all over, once the ban on blending whisky was removed in 1860. Millard toured the smallish Speyside region taking extensive notes of as many popular brands as he could find. He then left for Edinburgh, for Mackinlay's establishment.

As stated earlier, he met and fell in love with Mackinlay's daughter there, whom he was to ultimately wed in 1889, the year the deluxe 12 YO expression of Black Dog Scotch Whisky was released.

Today's Black Dog Fishing Fly

Together with James, Millard discovered the blend he was looking for, more probably guided by the former. Its unique taste, delicate aroma and smooth effect on the palate were the aspects that appealed the most and brought an interim end to Millard's quest, since time was of the essence and he needed to get back to India. British export rules did not allow the carrying of unnamed and unregistered bottles/containers of alcohol, so the whisky selected had to be both named, registered and put on the ship's cargo manifest as such. Millard named it as advised while Mackinlay helped him register it.

Phipson's actual reaction to this fait accompli is not recorded. There is a highly improbable anecdote as to the origin of this brand's final label. Being a keen 'Angler', which seems improbable for an impoverished seventh son of a clergyman, and considering his love for his favourite sport, Millard named the Scotch after his favourite fishing fly - The Black Dog allowed, in all probability as a quid pro quo by Phipson, a tale more dubious than didactic. This unsubstantiated tidbit notwithstanding, there is a simpler and less fairy-tale-like school of thought. It is quite probable that James Mackinlay, already a big name in Scotch Whisky blending, was titling his collection of brands after an array of fishing flies and that Millard selected a regal-sounding existing brand, The Black Dog.

Again, this is unsubstantiated as all MacKinlay's blends are examined in detail in a separate post

All said and done, Millard had just signed a contract for it and was, temporarily, the Boss.The bare truth is that Millard was a young educated nobody other than a representative or empowered employee of Phipson in 1883.

This Scotch, Millard's Black Dog, was only eight years old, a 'Rare Scotch', and in all probability, was a Blended Scotch Whisky (a blend of malt and grain whiskies). As desired by Phipson, Millard wanted MacKinlay to try the various whiskies- both grain and malt- he had described in his notes. He had brought about, by default, the most important quality required of a blender of Scotch Whisky, viz., to give the spirit time to blend/marry and mature in wooden casks!

MacKinlay was to set up the Glen Mhor Distillery at Inverness in the Highlands in 1892, with an extension in Leith, near Edinburgh to facilitate blending.

Millard loaded a shipful of his Black Dog whisky bottles, and set course for India with more to follow. The competition was building up; a number of brands were also moving overseas. While Mackinlay kept up the supply of Millard's Black Dog Rare Scotch Whisky, he was also carrying out experiments in his own backyard by adding similarly aged whiskies based on his knowledge and Millard's notes and testing them out. 12-year-old Scotch whiskies were now emerging, though the 'Premium Extra Special' whiskies were expensive. Millard returned in 1889 for his much-awaited wedding and, when there, found a delightful new expression that would take centre-stage globally.

Millard's 12-year-old but new Black Dog had to be renamed, since the original, which was to be quickly and unobtrusively withdrawn, was already a global brand. This saw the emergence of the (blended at Mackinlay) Phipson Black Dog, an exquisite 12 YO Blended Scotch whisky, in a totally different shaped dark brown bottle, which became a bestseller overnight in Scotland, sufficient cause for jacking up the price, first internationally, then locally.

There is yet another school of thought, which, on reflection and ratiocination, seems most likely. Phipson was in Scotland in early 1883, in pursuit of essentials to set up his wine shop. He contacted James MacKinlay, aka 'The Royalty of Blenders' and commissioned him to produce a rare/fine Scotch Whisky to suit Asia and other tropical British colonies. He employed Walter, a well-educated young lad of 19 to follow up on his order, scour Speyside for good whiskies and assist James in conjuring up a magical potion, before geting back to India. Millard did as ordered, while also courting Jame's daughter, who he married in 1889, the year James put together the majestic deluxe 12 YO blend. Millard and James were successful in creating a Rare 8 YO Blended Scotch which Millard, short of time and ideas, named Black Dog as Phipson's representative and on James' advice. As stated earlier, Phipson Black Dog was to follow and make history. This theory also supports the fact that Millard first set foot in India in 1884.

Glen Albyn distillery in Inverness with the profit his MacKinlay whiskies and The Black Dog were reeling in, hand over hand. Such was his reputation that the explorer Ernest Shackleton took with him 25 cases of “Rare old Highland malt whisky, blended and bottled by Chas. MacKinlay & Co.” to the Antarctic on his 1909 expedition to the South Pole. As already stated, three bottles of rare 19th century Scotch whisky, MacKinlay's 15 YO, left behind by Shackleton in 1909, were discovered 101 years later, buried under the floorboards of his shack.

The Three Bottles

One of the recovered bottles

The packing case

His ne'er do well son then bought Glen Ord distillery in 1896 and sold his whisky as Glen Oran, which failed in the market. James intervened and sold off both Glen Ord and Glen Albyn in 1899 to recoup losses.

Phipson Black Dog

The leading Scotch whisky of its time. Note the outline of the logo of the erstwhile fly.
Source: Noel Moitra

That said, this 12 YO premium whisky had beaten Johnnie Walker's whiskies by a margin of 20 years; Johnnie Walker's 10 YO Red Label hit the market in that new avatar only in 1909, when a decision was made to simplify the names of its rather pompous but anachronous brands. It was well appreciated, but found inferior to Black Dog, even after it undercut the latter's price. The competition came from Buchanan's 12 YO, Greenlees Brothers' Old Parr (1909), Dewar’s 12 YO & Haig and Haig's Dimple 12 YO. Johnnie Walker's Very Special Old Highland, the much-touted Black Label entered the fray only in 1931.

The Chivas Regal 12 YO came in decades later, in 1964. Black Dog was the unchallenged premium whisky served on board Air India's international flights, and one of the leading brands of Scotch whisky on board passenger ships and Indian Navy warships. Surprisingly, Phipson's Black Dog was not available anywhere west of the Middle East, suggesting the transfer of each and every single one of these bottles to India and her neighbours and that Phipson held sway only in and around the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, Malaya, the Philippines and Australasia.

Painstakingly conjured up over a period of twelve long years, Black Dog Scotch instantly became the favourite of connoisseurs all over the world after making a dramatic debut as an eight-year-old in 1883, and re-emerging as a different Premium 12 YO blend six years later. This was hardly surprising, considering that each Black Dog Scotch was a masterful blend of fine taste and exquisite artistry, exemplary drams in their respective categories. The labels clearly show 'Since 1883'.

A newspaper cutting supposedly bolstering the Millard story. It is an absolute fraud: In 1883, Walter Samuel Millard was a 19-year old civilian stripling, and certainly not knighted; Sep 17, 1883, was a Tuesday, not Saturday; the word aficionado entered the English dictionary with a different connotation in the mid-19th century; the spelling of honour is wrong. I must thank Callum McKean, of the News Reference Team, The British Library, London, who searched through the British Newspaper Archive, a database of digitised local and regional newspapers which is especially comprehensive for the late nineteenth century. He was unable to locate this article. It appeared to him that this is a modern mock-up image as the typeface, wording and layout of the newspaper pictured were not consistent with any late nineteenth-century newspapers of which he was aware. (This could perhaps explain the spelling mistakes, wrong selection of words and why the date and day of publication were mismatched too). The shape of the bottle is wrong, as is the logo. NM.

Today, Phipson's Black Dog has become a collector's item which my coursemates and I possibly drank in our halcyon days-I, for one certainly did on my Commissioning Day party. I kept my eyes and ears open for any future mention of this brand and found some stocked by the 12-bottle cases in our Navy's Duty-Free stores. Obliging naval coursemates provided me with a bottle or two.

Millard returned to England in 1920. When the British started to leave India in 1942, Phipson and Co. battled hard to stay on, well beyond 1947 when India gained Independence. Walter Millard died in England in 1952. He was not knighted either before or after leaving India in 1920. Carew and Co., a smaller liquor dealer, and Phipson & Co. were partly taken over and merged with itself. McDowell & Co, owned by United Breweries Group (UB), an Indian alcoholic beverages company. in 2002, the company acquired Phipson Distillery marking the demise of Phipson Black Dog.

In 2006, McDowell & Co Ltd, Herbertsons Limited, Triumph Distillers and Vintners Private Limited, Baramati Grape Industries India Limited, Shaw Wallace Distilleries Limited and four other companies were merged to form United Spirits Limited, the world's second-largest spirits company by volume. It is now a subsidiary of Diageo and headquartered in Bangalore. USL exports its products to over 37 countries.

USL also owned Whyte and Mackay and as Phipson Black Dog died with the taking over of the company, it turned to Richard Paterson, Master Blender at W&M to recreate The Black Dog. This acquisition of Scottish major Whyte & Mackay, with one of the largest inventories of aged malts and grain whisky reserves, saw USL bolstering Black Dog with better-aged variants to prop up premium appeal. USL started premiumising Black Dog. Rather than just placing the product on retail shelves, the company took an account management approach and created a huge buzz around the brand.

Four versions of the five current generation Black Dog Scotch Whisky exist today, with one premium version sold out.

Black Dog Black Reserve Scotch Whisky

Black Dog Black Reserve is a rich and rare premium blended Scotch whisky loaded with exceptional characters. It is blended to perfection with a multitude of malt spirits chosen from the various regions of Scotland.
- See more at: http://www.unitedspirits.in/scotch-brands.aspx?id=45&val=fifth#sthash.UktvoMsa.dpuf

Black Dog Black Reserve Scotch Whisky

Black Dog Black Reserve is a rich and rare blended Scotch whisky loaded with exceptional character. It is blended well with a multitude of malt and grain spirits chosen from various regions of Scotland. On completing 8 years in barrels, it is exported to India for bottling and sale. A few barrels are bottled for the local market as well. The whisky had a distinctive briny note, picked up in transit from Scotland to India, till 2008 when the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) banned the export of Scotch whisky in wooden casks.

Black Dog Gold Reserve Scotch Whisky

Black Dog Gold Reserve Aged 12 Years is a blend of 25 fine malt and grain whiskies from four regions of Scotland - Speyside, Islay, Highlands and Lowlands, each matured for a minimum period of 12 years creating a bouquet that captures all the flavours of Scotland, giving the blend its very distinctive flavour and taste. Over 95% of its output is bottled in India, the balance going into travel packs in Duty-Free shops and other markets. There is a distinct difference between the two, possibly caused by the effect of maritime air on the barrels as they travel to hot and dusty India, where the angel is far more demanding-up to a 12% cut. Sadly, this version is but a pale shadow of the Black Dog 12 YO of yesteryear. Whyte & Mackay use a different source of water, have different stills and can NEVER replicate Mackinlay's whiskies. That said, Johnny Walker Black Label started to use peated Caol Ila 12 YO and Talisker, along with Cardhu, Glenkinchie, Dalwhinnie, Dailuaine, Linkwood, Clynelish, Oban and Cragganmore among others, changing the flavour profile markedly and elevating this brand to No.1 in the Blended Scotch 12 YO range, from which it was displaced in India by the Famous Grouse 12 YO, which sadly has been discontinued. Dewar's Scratched Cask 12 year Old, Teacher's 50, Ballantine's 12 YO, Dewar's 12 YO and Buchanan's 12 YO are currently vying for top honours in this category. Incidentally, The Famous Grouse also makes a 12 YO Blended Malt Whisky.

The Famous Grouse 12 YO Blended Scotch

The Blended Malt

The latest offering from the brand is Black Dog Triple Gold Reserve. In the triple maturation process, Grain and 32 odd Malt whiskies are matured separately in American Bourbon Casks and then blended together and matured again in Oloroso Sherry Butts for an extra long period of time to give the blend a distinctive flavour and a delicate finish. This gives this scotch a very fine finish and is a tangible improvement of the 12 YO Black Dog Gold Reserve. Its effect on the market is yet to be assessed as the owners are waiting for the Black Dog Gold Reserve to run its course, what with Whyte and Mackay and its massive inventory being sold yet again, this time to Philippines-based Emperador Inc.

Black Dog Reserve Scotch Whisky

Black Dog 18 years old Scotch Whisky is known as Black Dog Reserve Scotch. It is matured for a minimum of 18 years in oak casks. Master blenders carefully put together a fine blend of Aged Malt and Grain Whiskies to make this an exceptional Scotch whisky. Black Dog Reserve Scotch won the Gold award at the MUNDUS Vini International Spirit Awards held in Germany in 2011. This is the third Gold award won by this 18-year-old Whisky, making it one of the top five of the world’s best tasting 18-year-old blended Scotch whiskies. I can vouch for it, as it melts into your tongue like honey. It is as good as The Glen Ord Singleton 18 YO, which forms the body of JW Blue Label, a NAS blend.

Black Dog Quintessence Scotch Whisky

The Black Dog Quintessence is a 21-year-old blend. It is pure liquid gold as it is handcrafted to meticulous perfection by Black Dog’s master blenders. Only 25 of the finest single malts and grain whiskies have been drawn from the Highland region of Scotland, in particular from Speyside to provide that special key – “finesse”. Like a loving partnership, each individual part has made its own inimitable contribution. Balance and harmony prevail throughout this noble elegant spirit. After a long 20-year maturation in Bourbon barrels, the final year is spent in the finest Oloroso sherry butts. These aren't just any sherry butts; they are specially selected from Spain’s noblest Bodegas of Gonzalez Byass in Jerez de la Frontera; these Matusalem butts provide the perfect platform to marry and mould Black Dog 21 years old Blended Scotch Whisky. This whisky has been sold out, more's the pity. I did manage to taste it at The Patio in 2013 and can still recall that dram.

The Black Dog Gold Reserve 12 YO is available at most duty-free shops at close to US$ 37.00 per 750 CL. These are all Bottled In Scotland whiskies but are rapidly fading out. They are far too expensive. In the free market in India, The Black Dog Gold Reserve 12 YO Bottled In India is freely available at US$ 16-18 and below. The rush for this brand at this price by people who don't care where it was bottled is unbelievable. The 12 YO is the brand that is selling the fastest globally when seen YoY, averaging 45-50%!

Black Dog's scorching growth contrasts with overall blended scotch sales coming under pressure globally, and within India, for different reasons. The only other blended scotch brands to report five-year double-digit growth are Black & White (19.8%), Old Parr (14.8%), Passport (13.7%) and VAT 69 (10%) among a list of the world's 50 top scotch brands compiled by International Wine & Spirit Research.


How Scotch Whisky is faring globally This post is also available at htpps://www.noelsramblings.blogspot.in/ It will be removed shortly. I do not collect or track cookies. Google may be using certain Blogger and Google cookies, including Google Analytics and AdSense cookies and other data collected by Google. Copyrighted material. Do not copy without express permission from the author

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Monday 2 January 2017

HAND CRAFTED WHISKY STYLED ON LONG CLOSED DISTILLERIES

OLD WHISKIES COMING BACK TO LIFE

In the last century, almost one hundred of Scotland’s malt whisky distilleries have been closed or destroyed. This accounts for nearly half of all distilleries that have ever existed in Scotland. Global economic downturn, over- production, world wars and prohibition have all contributed to the loss of so many distilleries. As a result, many unique and venerable brands have been lost to the world.

UNTIL NOW

The ten critical components are the date of last distillation, the region within which the distillery was located, the distillery's water source, the distillery's barley source, the distillery's yeast source, the distillery's drying process, the distillery's mash tun, the distillery's wash back, the distillery's still and the type of wood that was used to mature the whisky. Once these components are determined, Moss and his team of archivists and whisky makers marry together single malt whiskies from distilleries across Scotland in order to create a present day interpretation of that long lost whisky legend.

The Lost Distillery Auchnagie Malt Scotch Whisky is the first release from The Lost Distillery Company. It is a recreation of a single malt whisky produced at the Auchnagie Distillery, which was situated in the village of Tulliemet and operated from 1812 through 1912. The whisky has an aroma of earthy minerals, dried citrus (particularly peaches) and malted grains. The aroma gives way to round notes of creamy vanilla and fruits, which are complemented by undertones of peat, flowers and caramel. The finish is lingering and smooth, with a touch of smoke.

The Lost Distillery Stratheden Malt Scotch Whisky is the second release from The Lost Distillery Company and is a recreation of a single malt whisky distilled at Stratheden Distillery. The distillery had been operating for nearly three centuries until 1926, when it was closed as a result of Prohibition. The whisky has a more fruity character than Auchnagie, with an aroma of apples, pears and dried citrus. Bold notes of caramel, espresso and toffee dominate the palate, and lead to a long finish with touches of warming spices, smoke, cinnamon and oak.

Once the malt whiskies used to recreate each of these single malts have been married together, they are prepared for bottling. "While our ten key components are critical in determining the flavor profile of a whisky we recreate," says Moss, "it's just as important to recognize what wasn't in the whisky. A century ago, there was no such thing as chill filtration or caramel colouring of the final product. That's why we don't do either of these things today." Some of these distilleries are Auchnagie, Stratheden, Gerston, Jericho / Benachie (The distillery was known under two names and for various reasons the brand is known as Benachie in the US and Jericho everywhere else), Lossit and Towiemore.

Sourced from the multitude of stories on the web

Sunday 1 January 2017

2013: THE REBIRTH OF AUCHNAGIE-ONE OF THE LOST DISTILLERIES OF YESTERYEAR

THE LOST DISTILLERIES-1

Auchnagie Distillery Born 1812- Demise 1911

UNTIL NOW

Auchnagie Distillery existed foralmost 100 years, starting work as a remote farmhouse distillery and ending its days as, arguably, the jewel in the crown of a global whisky empire. It had at least seven different owners and was silent for large parts of its life. This was not unusual for small-scale 19th century distilleries, as their precarious existence was often at the mercy of lack of water, lack of money, changes to duty laws and local demand for the product.

Auchnagie Distillery (or Tullymet as it was later known) was located near the hamlet of Tulliemet, approximately 6 miles South East of Pitlochry in Perthshire. The land in this area is rural, a mixture of pasture and rolling hills, with ample supply of water flowing off of the high ground. Local farms in the area (from the 17th century) were built next to the streams, and many generated power by water wheel. Auchnagie Distillery augmented its water supply by constructing a water pool just above the distillery site – the remains of this can be seen to this day.

There were several distilleries in the local area, and at least 3 in the immediate vicinity of Tulliemet. Knowledge of distillation seems to have been handed down through the generations, and several local farming families were involved in illegal distilling. This activity centred on the remote Loch Broom, where water and peat were in ready supply for those who worked the unlicensed “stells.” One local farmer constructed a barley “steep” underground, and covered the workings with wood and soil. Sheep grazed over the construction – this remained undiscovered by “the excise” and continued to provide malted barley well into the 19th century.

The precise location of where Auchnagie Distillery once stood is somewhat confusing, but research has identified the place. Tulliemet boasted three distilleries – Milton of Tulliemet, Braes of Tulliemet and Auchnagie. Alexander Duff, the owner of Milton, also owned a warehouse at Wester Auchnagie farm – which led many previous authors to assume the distillery was located there. In fact it was warehousing only – Auchnagie Distillery was located half a mile away, at Easter Auchnagie. Just to confuse things further, Auchnagie changed its name in later years – to Tullymet!

Auchnagie was reliant on water for both power and production. The water came from Loch Broom and flowed past the distillery via the Auchnagie Burn. The burn itself was deepened, widened and rock-lined for 500 metres above the distillery. The water had a particularly high mineral content, having been filtered through peat moss and granite. It was understood to be particularly good for making malt whisky.

“This distillery is favourably situated, and the water – a very important factor in the manufacture of whisky – is received from the springs of the Braes of Tullymet, and is especially suited for the making of Malt Whisky. The Whisky made here is of the very highest quality, and possesses the soft, mellow flavour now so generally approved of by connoisseurs of fine Scotch Whisky.” Alfred Barnard – Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom.

Auchnagie’s channelled water source drained into a specially constructed pool, with a sluice gate positioned at the bottom to control the flow. This construction helped prolong the distillation season. The pool is still visible on a modern Google Map. Barnard noted that there was no production when he visited as it was too warm for mashing – this was considered the norm, as Auchnagie, like other water-wheel powered distilleries was entirely at the mercy of rainfall for power supply. Also, with no temperature control on yeast activity, there was always the potential to lead to “blown” or “stuck” fermentation.

Bere barley (also referred to as beer or bygg) was the most common strain used. This was an ancient strain brought to Scotland by the Vikings. Availability of local and surplus barley generally governed the beginning and end of the distilling season. Poor harvests led directly to shorter seasons, or in extreme cases, no production at all. As an ingredient of whisky, its major drawback was inconsistent size of grains. This created unevenly malted barley, leading to partially malted barley being mashed adding a greenish flavour note to the flavour of the whisky.

Commercial yeast was not available until the 1870’s, although its influence in fermentation was understood. Farmhouses could maintain a home-made yeast culture made from potatoes and sugar. Alternatively they could harvest a culture from the remnants of the washback. However this technique was prone to contamination with bacteria, and was not an efficient way to initiate fermentation.

Auchnagie peats were cut from the high ground above the distillery, adjacent to Loch Broom. Each family devoted time to securing their fuel for home and for industry. They were dried on the high ground and carted down to Tulliemet. The major components of the dried peats were heather and moss, which gave off a delicate, perfumed note when tossed on the fire.

The copper mash tun would have been direct-fired by a mixture of coke and dried peat. The tun itself would have been made of wood and in the earlier years probably an oak puncheon. Later on, a purpose built mash tun of around 2000 gallons was installed. There was a resident blacksmith in Tulliemet. Alexander Cameron was particularly skilled at making “vessels for the distillation of spirits,” and was in all likelihood the local purveyor of unlicensed distilling equipment in earlier times. Cameron also transported and sold his whisky to local taverns in Tulliemet and Ballinluig. Once Auchnagie was licenced, Cameron supplemented his income by renting a room in his house to Nicolas Oliver, who was the assistant Exciseman at Auchnagie, and who later moved to work at nearby Ballechin Distillery.

The washback would have been of wooden construction and in early years at least, unlikely to be purpose built. Early distilleries on this scale would have used a puncheon, or other portable vessel. The main problem would have been keeping the vessel free of yeast bacteria from previous batches of wash. Yeast works best in ambient temperatures and in the absence of any impurities. A build-up of bacteria would contaminate the wash with pungent farmyard off-notes. If this was concentrated, it could halt yeast activity altogether, with potential loss of the entire batch.

In pre-industrialised times the size of the still dimensions and capacity were purpose-built to fit the space where they worked. In many instances they were similar to other stills in the area. A fair comparison can be made with Edradour Distillery, and with Grandtully. Stills were constructed inside existing farm buildings, which generally restricted their height and capacity. Whisky from Highland distilleries was considered particularly desirable because unlike Lowland Distillers, they used much smaller stills. It was long understood that whisky from the “sma” stills was far superior. While this may be true, it may also have been a reflection on the quality of Lowland Whiskies in the 19th century.

Legislation on still size changed several times between 1780 and 1823. For highland distillers from 1823, they were permitted to use a still of “not less than 40 gallons,” (the spirit still) providing they also operated a still of 500 gallons – no doubt the wash still. Therefore it’s fair to assume that stills were generally just over minimum size permitted, and this only changed when purpose-built still rooms appeared as demand for whisky increased.

From the chart below, we can deduce that there is no correlation between still size and production of spirit. Output depended to a larger extent on how many months per year the distilleries operated, as they were highly dependent on local barley, and more importantly, local water supply. If Auchnagie was producing 19000 gallons in 1887 and had a capacity of 24000, then we can assume the distillery worked around 9 months, September to May. These figures equate to 2111 gallons per month or in modern measurement, to 9288 litres, which would today fill around 77 ex-bourbon barrels per month.

Successive owners improved Auchnagie’s capacity, not by adding bigger stills but more likely they developed techniques to lengthen the season, such as adding the water pool, or providing consistent supply of barley.

Whisky distilled in the early 19th century was generally not aged. Duty was paid on proof gallons produced – there was no incentive to watch it mature and evaporate. Whisky was stored in cask as it was a means of transporting the goods to market. Cask size was usually octave or firkin. In the second half of the 19th century, hogsheads and butts appeared in greater number. Whisky in the earlier 19th century was generally all sold locally, and in cask. Retailers would dispense from the cask, customers would arrive with a receptacle which would be filled accordingly. Commercially made bottles were not available until the late 1880’s – their appearance, plus the invention of cork stoppers transformed the industry, and its means of shipping the product.

Industrialisation and completion of the Highland Railway in 1863 created the means of transporting greater quantities of produce to a much wider area, including the wholesale markets in Edinburgh and Perth. Aside from whisky, these merchants traded in wine, rum, sherry and madeira, and were the source of different types of cask bought, sold and refilled with Scotch whisky. The railway construction boom of the mid-19th century connected Perth with Inverness, with a station opening at Ballinluig in 1865. The main line followed the Spey River for much of its length, and several branch lines were built through communities now famous for whisky production. The proposed branch line from Tulliemet down to Ballinluig was never built, which meant transportation of bulk whisky down to the railway continued on horseback until the distillery ceased production in 1910.

There is evidence from Auchnagie’s later history, that some whisky was matured for a number of years. Local retailers sold whisky at “Never less than five years old,” and John Dewar and Sons offered a facility for storing privately purchased casks for a minimum of four years. If there was a taste for older whisky in the late 19th century, then eight years old was considered extremely mature spirit. Remember Millard’s Black Dog, first sold in India as an 8-YO?

Compulsory bonding of two years was not brought into practice until 1915, later expended to three years in 1916. This was a compromise negotiated by the Wine and Spirit Brand Association (which became the Scotch Whisky Association in 1940) with Lloyd George, who deplored alcohol consumption, particularly in the workplace and especially in wartime industries.

Key individuals in Auchnagie History

The Dick Family: The Dicks, Captain and Dr, were the land-owners of Wester and Easter Auchnagie, and thus the likely landlords of the Auchnagie Distillery. A descendent of the Dick family was known to enter the warehouses and tap casks for his personal supply. He was rumoured to hide bottles of whisky around the estate – some of which may still be waiting to be re-discovered in the hills above Tulliemet.

James Duff: James Duff is attributed as the first owner from 1827 to 1933, he is understood to have built the licensed Tullymet (Auchnagie) distillery on his land.

Alexander Forbes: Forbes operated a distillery at_ Milton of Tulliemet_ from 1825 to 1837, and owned a warehouse at Wester Auchnagie Farm._Forbes was later instrumental in licensing_ Edradour Distillery_. His brother James Forbes was involved with Grandtully Distillery.

Duncan Scott: Operated the distillery from 1860 to 1862, and was probably responsible for the construction of the water pool at Easter Auchnagie. Scott was sequestrated in 1862, and the distillery then had an additional 4 tenant distillers over the next 25 years.

Peter Dawson: Dawson owned the distillery for one year – 1887 to 1888. Dawson was a well-known whisky merchant and something of a showman. He made headlines by bottling the largest vatting of whisky then recorded – some 23,000 gallons for his own brand – Peter Dawson Blended Scotch. A blend of “Titanic proportions” according to a publication of the time.

Dawson was given a platform by of all organisations, the Temperance Association! Dawson noted that there was no point in attempting to cure the drunkard from the purely religious or moral sides. “…his emotional power is impaired, his will power weakened. He must be dealt with from the physical side. Let temperance reformers turn their attention to… villainous decoctions which, sold under the honourable designation of Scotch whisky, constitute what Carlyle has designated the “insidious brain stealer and soul paralyser.” And focus on… The influence of purely-blended and well-matured Scotch whisky, such as Mr Dawson stands sponsor for. Dawson is working as earnestly in the temperance cause as the most rabid lecturer of the Temperance League. These men have failed with religious appeals, moral suasion, and pledges to reduce drunkenness. The latest returns show that the evil is on the increase."

Dawson further noted… “I believe that public taste is tending towards blends rather than to single whiskies, and that skilfully blended liquor of ascertained and undoubted maturity would speedily displace those immature inferior, and un-wholesome spirits which are frequently put on the market. I am working in the cause of temperance, because if men and women must have whisky, then, I say, let them have it pure and the best that can be manufactured. It is the immature and drugged whiskies that do the harm, steal away men’s brains, and create appetites and quenchless cravings."

John Douglas: Douglas was “The Exciseman” residing in what is now Woodside Cottage at Easter Auchnagie. Barnard noted an idyllic picture of Douglas’s life in 1887 when he tells us that the Exciseman “informed us that he leads quite a pastoral life here, and spends his summer days in his garden and little farmyard”.

Tommy Dewar (Whisky Tom): The final owners of Auchnagie Distillery (now renamed Tullymet) were the Perth -based whisky merchants, John Dewar and Sons. Tommy Dewar (youngest son of John Dewar senior) lived in London from 1885 and within two years, had established Dewar’s Whisky as one of the top-selling brands in the capital. Based on this success, Dewar’s purchased Auchnagie Distillery, thus adding “distillers” alongside “blenders and bottlers” to their business.

In 1892 Tommy Dewar embarked on a World tour, aimed at promoting Dewar’s Whisky in the emerging markets of North America, Europe and Asia. Dewar visited 26 countries in two years, and returned with 32 importer agreements, plus a Royal Warrant to supply Queen Victoria. Dewar’s was now a global brand – a tremendous success for Tommy Dewar. The distillery had its own brand called “Old Tullymet,” which gave it identity in an increasingly crowded whisky market. However it was clear that the ambitions of_John Dewar and Sons_ were higher than ever – what did “Whisky Tom’s” achievements overseas mean for their distillery at Auchnagie?

Demand for Dewar’s growing array of whisky brands was such that one small distillery could never produce enough whisky to supply demand. In 1894, Soon after Tommy Dewar’s return, distillery architects Charles Doig and Co were commissioned to build a distillery at Aberfeldy. This effectively meant the end of the road for the distillery at Auchnagie. Aberfeldy Distillery opened in 1896 and production ceased at Auchnagie for good in late 1910, and the building noted as “vacant” the following year. In 1912 the equipment and machinery were removed, thus ending over a century or legal distilling history in the hamlet of Tulliemet.

Auchnagie Distillery enjoyed the best and worst of times – it survived for almost 100 years and was witness to tremendous change in the whisky industry. Railway construction, advances in steam motive power, development of the column or “Coffey” still, advances in yeast technology, and the expansion of the industry from domestic products to global brands to name but a few. The number of different owners illustrate how precarious a distillers’ lot could be – several were declared bankrupt, or simply gave up the tenancy due to lack of money, barley or water. The turnover of tenants had one additional consequence – none of them possessed the finance to upgrade or modernise the distillery.

Auchnagie’s location was far from ideal, but that was not the principal reason for its eventual closure. From a post-industrial perspective, Auchnagie was old, small and inefficient, particularly compared with the modern industrial distilleries constructed by Charles Doig. Transport links were poor and outdated.

Tommy Dewar’s achievements seemed to guarantee security – although reality was somewhat different. Demand for Dewar’s whiskies outstripped the capacity of Auchnagie, and when compared with their new distillery in Aberfeldy, the asset in Tulliemet appeared an expensive liability.

Today, the water pool remains and can be inspected as it is on Atholl Estates land, but it is an overgrown weed bed. The old water course is stone-lined for quite a distance upstream, creating a deep channel for funnelling water down to the distillery. The pool itself is pear-shaped, approximately 25 metres long, and 15 metres at its widest. There are the remains of a concrete sluice gate at the bottom.

Woodside Cottage remains and is occupied – the garden gives amazing views and one can imagine John Douglas spending his summer tending his vegetables during the silent season. A bonded warehouse remains intact, opposite Woodside Cottage, and is currently used as a garage.

Aside from some old stone walls, there is little evidence of the old distillery itself, or the renowned whisky it produced.

Charles MacLean’s Tasting Notes

AUCHNAGIE Archivists Selection

Blended Malt Whisky @46%Vol

Appearance: Dull gold, with very slight haze (suggesting lack of chill-filtration), and good thick legs (indicating good texture).

Aroma: Slight nose prickle. The top notes are juicy and fruity – bruised pears, grapefruit, fresh orange peel. Behind this there is a light biscuit note (Rich Tea biscuit) and a trace of steam engine. A little water introduces estery pear drops, soft apples and oiled leather.

Taste: Very sweet to taste at bottled strength, with considerable spice across the tongue and a warming, medium-length finish. Fruity boiled sweets in the aftertaste. At reduced strength it is less sweet and less spicy, but remains fruity, with a trace of vanilla sponge – Eve’s Pudding.

Comment: Spicy and vigorous at full strength; soft and pleasant with a dash of water.

AUCHNAGIE Vintage

Blended Malt Whisky @46%Vol

Appearance: Pale gold. Lemon lights.

Aroma: Sweet malt in the foreground, rapidly followed by fruity notes – tinned pears – with traces of spun honey. The sweet cereal now in the background as sweet biscuit. Water introduces hemp rope and wet cardboard, but still with a fruity top-note.

Taste: Sweet to taste at bottled strength, with considerable spice across the tongue and a warming, medium-length finish. At reduced strength it is less sweet and less spicy, but remains fruity, with a trace of apple sponge and vanilla.

Comment: Pleasantly sweet and spicy, with the ‘hemp rope’ an old fashioned scent.

Sourced off the web

Tuesday 13 December 2016

THE STANDARD HALF BALL

STANDARD HALF-BALL ANGLES

Two standard half-ball angles are shown on the billiards table above. A red ball is blocking access to the top right pocket. In snooker, the white ball, or cue ball, would impact that blocking red ball and push it into the pocket. If you remove that red ball, the white ball would drop into the pocket. What you would then see is two losing hazards, otherwise known as in-offs.

If you want to pot the red ball, al you have to do in the two pics above is to hit the red object ball on the opposite side!

Another standard half-ball angle is where you place the cue ball in the centre of the lip of either upper pocket and the object ball on the Black Spot, the spot occupied by the red ball the cueist nearest to us is addressing. A half-ball shot on the inside of the object ball will lead to a losing hazard. A half-ball shot to the outside of that ball will result in a pot of the object ball and a losing hazard in the opposite centre pocket. Try it out!

Half-ball shots are essential to Billiards and are very easy to play, especially compared with potting. That is why snooker is so difficult a game, and also why there is much more money and global acclaim in snooker vis-a-vis billiards. India has produced and still produces great billiards players, but no really good snooker cue artist.

Where to aim: If you play without side and point your tip through the centre of the cue ball to the extreme edge of the object ball, this will give a 'true' half-ball.The deflection of the object ball from a half-ball contact is approximately 38°. It is not 45°, which is one misconception most players have throughout their playing days.

Monday 12 December 2016

CASH LESS TRANSACTIONS IN A DEMONETISED INDIA

FIVE METHODS OF CASH LESS TRANSACTIONS

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a strong push for a ‘cashless economy’ in his monthly ‘Mann ki Baat’ radio address. A day later, his office publicised a number of alternative payment modes in a series of tweets titled ‘My mobile. My Bank. My wallet: Transactions without cash’.

Here are the five alternatives that the PMO tweeted about:

Unified Payments Interface (UPI)

“It’s as easy as sending a message from your phone! Every bank has its own mobile app – so it’s now possible to transact on your smart phone,” read the tweet from the PMO.

How:
Register your mobile number at your bank or ATM
Download the UPI app on your mobile
Make your unique ID
Set your UPI PIN

Advantage:
Transactions can be carried out from any location, between any two individuals
No need to pre-add beneficiary

e-Wallet

“It’s as easy as sending photos through your phone! Through the e-Wallet, money transactions are possible with mobile or computer,” said the PMO tweet.

How:
Choose an e-wallet service of your convenience and download the app
Register your mobile number
Link this with your debit card, credit card or net banking

Advantages:
Many options available, from private players to wallets offered by banks and even telephone companies
Most wallet services allow recharges of denominations of the consumer’s choice

Cards, PoS

These are pretty common in urban areas. PoS stands for ‘point of sale’. These are the payments you can make using your debit cards or credit cards.

How:
Get a debit card against your bank account, or apply for a credit card
Set and remember your PIN
Swipe your card, enter the amount to be paid, punch in your PIN

Advantages:
Debit cards come almost automatically with bank accounts
Cards can be used for withdrawals and deposits at ATMs across the country, and even abroad
Cards can also be used for online transactions

Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AEPS)

“Why rely on your bank, when you can bank on Aadhaar! Now link your Aadhaar card with your bank account,” read the PMO tweet.

How:
Link your Aadhaar card with your bank account
Remember your Aadhaar number or carry a copy of your card
Remember the bank in which you have the account which has been linked to your Aadhaar card
Transactions to be authenticated using fingerprint recorded for Aadhaar biometrics

Advantages:
Balance inquiry, cash withdrawals, cash deposits and Aadhaar-to-Aadhaar fund transfers
No extra registrations needed
Could be useful in rural areas, with transaction carried out by banking correspondents

Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD)

This allows fund transfers through the interface of any mobile phone.

How:
Link your mobile number to your bank account
Dial *99# from your phone
Identify your bank by entering the first three letters or the first four letters of your branch’s IFSC code
In the menu that pops up, chose ‘Fund Transfer-MMID’
Enter the mobile phone number and MMID of the recipient
Enter the transfer amount and your MPIN, followed by a space and the last four digits of your account number

Advantages:
No smartphone required
No mobile internet connection needed

Friday 9 December 2016

JIM MURRAYS' WHISKY BIBLE 2017 RELEASED

JIM MURRAYS' WINNERS 2016

Released by The Whisky Exchange

Jim Murray knows how to surprise. Two years ago, he named the Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2013 as his World Whisky of the Year, while last year saw that honour go to Canada, with Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye taking the top gong. And now, the 2017 winner has just been announced. Jim Murray’s best whisky in the world is: Booker’s Rye 13 Year Old. Jim described it as having a ‘brain-draining, mind-blowing’ nose with a finish of ‘amazing depth’, adding that it is a ‘staggering example of a magnificent rye showing exactly what genius in terms of whisky actually means’, scoring it 97.5/100 points.

JIM MURRAY’S 2017 WORLD WHISKIES OF THE YEAR

1. Booker’s Rye 13 Year Old
2. Glen Grant 18 Year Old
3. William Larue Weller Bourbon (Bot.2015)

Scotch Whisky

Scotch Whisky of the Year
Glen Grant 18 Year Old

Single Malt of the Year (Multiple Casks)
Glen Grant 18 Year Old

Single Malt of the Year (Single Cask)
That Boutique-y Whisky Co Macallan 25 Year Old Batch 5

Scotch Blend of the Year
The Last Drop 1971

Scotch Grain of the Year
Whiskyace Invergordon 24 Year Old

Scotch Vatted Malt of the Year
Compass Box Flaming Heart 2015 Edition
Single Malt Scotch

No Age Statement (Multiple Casks)
Glenlivet Cipher

No Age Statement (Runner Up)
Port Askaig 100 Proof

10 Years & Under (Multiple Casks)
Glen Grant 10 Year Old

10 Years & Under (Single Cask)
Kilchoman Guze Cask Finish

11-15 Years (Multiple Casks)
Lagavulin 12 Year Old

11-15 Years (Single Cask)
The Single Cask Glentauchers 2002 14 Year Old

16-21 Years (Multiple Casks)
Glen Grant 18 Year Old

16-21 Years (Single Cask)
Scyfion Choice Mortlach 1996 19 Year Old (Berry Bros & Rudd)

22-27 Years (Multiple Casks)
Dalwhinnie 1989 25 Year Old Special Releases 2015

22-27 Years (Single Cask)
The Boutique-y Co Macallan 25 Year Old Batch 5

28-34 Years (Multiple Casks)
Port Ellen 1983 32 Year Old Special Releases 2015

28-34 Years (Single Cask)
Cadenhead Caol Ila 31 Year Old

35-40 Years (Multiple Casks)
Brora 37 Year Old Special Releases 2015

35-40 Years (Single Cask)
Cadenhead Glentauchers 38 Year Old

41 Years & Over (Multiple Casks)
Gordon & MacPhail Glen Grant 1952

41 Years & Over (Single Cask)
Gordon & MacPhail Glen Grant 1950 65 Year Old

Blended Scotch

No Age Statement (Standard)
Ballantine’s Finest

No Age Statement (Premium)
Ballantine’s Limited

5-12 Years
Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 Year Old

13-18 Years
Chivas Regal 18 Year Old Ultimate Cask Collection First Fill American Oak

19 – 25 Years
Royal Salute 21 Year Old

26 – 50 Years
The Last Drop 1971