Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/101724
SCOTCH REPORT Defying the Recession, One Bottle at a Time THE YEAR GETS OFF TO A HEADY START WITH PRICEY RELEASES by Ian Buxton T he Scotch whisky industry goes into 2013 in good heart and buoyant mood. Apparently untouched by global economic doom and gloom, all the talk is of expansion, new markets and further releases—the more expensive the better. Typical of this trend is the latest Speyburn 25 Year Old (typical retail $315, through International Beverage Holdings). Actually, by today's standards, that seems quite a modest price for a lovely whisky that curiously is better known and feted in the U.S. than in its homeland. Quite why Speyburn should be one of the top ive single malts in the U.S and virtually unknown in Scotland is a mystery to me, but I'd suggest grabbing a few bottles before the word inally gets out in the hills and glens. And continuing the theme of lesser-known whiskies we can turn to Auchentoshan, one of the few remaining Lowland distilleries (it's just outside Glasgow) and unusual in Scotland for triple-distilling its spirit. The distillery recently recruited Rachel Barrie from Glenmorangie to be their new Master Blender, and she has been taking her supersensitive nose to some of Auchentoshan's oldest stocks. The result is two limited releases: the Auchentoshan 1966 vintage from an ex-bourbon hogshead (a slightly breathtaking $7,250 for one of the 257 bottles) and, as something of a contrast in style, the oloroso sherry– matured Auchentoshan 1979 vintage (1,000 bottles, typical $565 retail, from Campari America). While these two are probably destined more for the burgeoning collectors market, where enthusiasm shows little sign of slowing down despite rapidly rising prices, dedicated single malt drinkers will probably turn 26 / the tasting panel / january 2013 to Auchentoshan's latest Valinch release. A non-chill-iltered single malt matured in irst-ill North American ex-bourbon oak casks, Valinch comes at cask strength in simple packaging, thus ticking most of the boxes for malt mavens. It will also be more readily available, as will the intriguingly named Bowmore Dorus Mor 10 Years Old Small Batch Release No. 1 (I don't think you have to repeat that mouthful every time you call for a dram). This is whisky for the people, by the people as you might say— known as Tempest in the U.K. and European markets, Bowmore found that name was no longer available to them in the U.S. So the brand asked consumers to choose and Dorus Mor—it's Gaelic for a patch of rough, wild water apparently—was their favorite. The alternative was the rather more pedestrian Whirlpool and, given the potential confusion with rival Ardbeg's Corryvreckan (an infamous Islay whirlpool, don't you know), it seems that drinkers made a sound choice. Uniquely available in the U.S., the irst 2,400 non-chill-iltered, cask-strength (55.1% abv) bottles are available from Campari America beginning January 2013 to retail for $119.99. Expect more recession-defying Scotch whisky in 2013 and news of new distilleries, great releases and trend-setting packaging. After all, if you keep drinking it, they'll keep making it!