“I’m a Mountain-worshipping Capetonian (and proud of it), and I can usually be found riding my scooter, Blue Oyster helmet atop my head, when I’m not working, blogging, or drinking whisky. I’ve also lived in Mauritius, where I was born, and thereafter in Durban, Taichung (Taiwan), Johannesburg, Rome (where my fearless scooter riding skills were forged on the white-hot fire of a road that they call the “Colombo”), and London…”

So put your hands together for Patrick!

1. Tell me a little about yourself?

I’m 37 years old and I live in Cape Town. Like most South Africans I enjoy sports – I’m a big fan of cricket and rugby in particular. I keep fit by going to gym, cycling, and climbing Table Mountain whenever I have the opportunity. I’m married and we have two dogs (rough collies). The focus of my life at the moment is the impending launch of a whisky e-tailer which I’ve named WHISKYdotcoza. We’re hoping to go live in the next 2-3 weeks.

2. How did it all started, what’s your first experience of whisky?

My first contact with whisky was serving it to my dad when I was a child. Our family is Mauritian and it’s pretty much a given that if you’re Mauritian and male you’re bound to end up drinking Scotch whisky. I got to know of the various brands from that early stage, as I poured him Dewar’s, Bells, Grant’s, Black & White, and Ballantine’s, and on special occasions Chivas and Johnnie Black.

3. What’s your favourite and worst whisky experience and why?

I think that my favourite and worst experience was one and the same. I visited Scotland for the first time in September 2001 as part of my induction as a Scotch whisky brand manager. It was initially a wonderful trip. I toured Strathisla, Glenlivet, and Glen Keith, hosted by a charming and knowledgeable Scotsman who had a great passion for whiskies. He introduced me to an abundance of single malts, and over a period of 3 days we relished dram after dram over meals of haggis, Aberdeen Angus, and other Scottish specialities. We were enjoying yet another dram, which was to be our last together, at a small pub overlooking Loch Ness on the 11th when the news broke.

4. What’s your opinion on today’s whisky rating systems (1-10, 1-100, stars etc.)?

I tend to view them with some scepticism. It’s all well and fine for people like Jim Murray and the late Michael Jackson to credibly rate whisky. These guys do this for a living day-in and day-out. Firstly they’re highly proficient, and secondly they practice often enough and with sufficient variety to be able to maintain a sense of clear standard against which to reference their ratings. For the most part though I prefer qualitative assessments. I find that the nuances of flavour can be highly individualistic, often tied to experiences and memories, so a considered description and explanation is more meaningful to me than a number.

5. How do you taste whisky? Do you use water, and when?

I always taste whisky in a glass with a narrow rim, so that the aroma is concentrated. This may be a nosing copita, but not necessarily. I tend to nose and taste the whisky neat first, and then add a splash of still bottled or filtered water to take the edge off and release the volatiles.

6. How is the whisky ‘climate’ (bars, clubs, events & magazines etc.) in your country?

South Africa ranks within the top 10 markets for Scotch whisky worldwide. Whisky is very popular but our premium segment is still somewhat undeveloped compared to first world countries, and we struggle to find a lot of the more niche products for which you take availability for granted in Europe. Nonetheless, the industry is healthy and active – there is a full calendar of well-organized whisky events, and some impressive whisky bars such as the Bascule in Cape Town, and the astounding Wild about Whisky…almost in the middle of nowhere on the highveld.

7. What’s your opinion on different cask-finish expression?

I’m a big fan. Wood is the most important contributor to flavour, and cask-finishes lend an added dimension. This is the type of innovation that can only be good for the industry. I’m intrigued to see the emergence of virgin wood finishes (maple) in the US and Canada, and I’m watching with interest to see where this goes.

8. Where in the world would you like to go to try whisky? Why, do you have a favourite place, distillery or country?

I’d like to go to the States – to Kentucky in particular. I think American whiskey is underrated and underappreciated, certainly here in South Africa, and I’d like to make closer acquaintance on home turf.

Scotland and Edinburgh are close to my heart, but I’d struggle to name a favourite whisky or distillery. We’re too spoilt to choose.

9. What whisky trends are you seeing, how does the future look like?

I’m not tapped into the numbers, but it’s my impression that single malts, speciality whiskies, and premium whiskies in general are growing. It’s also encouraging to see the emergence of whiskies from less established whisky markets, Japan as a whole and whiskies such as Amrut in India and Mackmyra in Sweden. I think the future looks bright. Whisky is a spirit of incredible complexity, variety and integrity, and I’ll bet that it’ll consistently keep winning new friends.

1. Filip Ling
2. Gal Gra­nov
3. Jörg Bech­told
4. Mark Gille­spie
5. Thomas Maufer
6. Stef fen Bräuner
7. Dan Hvit­man
8. Mark Con­nelly
9. Jason Johnstone-Yellin
10. Scott Harris
11. Ruben
12. Marc Pendlebury
13. Patrick Leclezio

Comparing 2010 & 2009

Visits 2010 compared to 2009 (click for a larger image)

During 2010 chwsigi.com had 18,245 visits. They visit 40,636 pages which is about 2.23 pages per visit. The visits stayed for 2.09 minutes in average and the bounce rate where 66%. Compared to 2009 the site had 115% more visits, 150% more pageviews, 16% more pages per visit, 14% better bounce rate and 80% better average  time on site. Great stuff!

Top countries

The site had lots of visits from all around the world. Great to see that the whisky interest is not just, UK, US, Sweden and Japan. Top countries for 2010 is;

1. United States (21.96%)
2. United Kingdom (18.21%)
3. Sweden (14.78%)
4. Germany (6.69%)
5. Canada (3.94%)
6. Netherlands (3.25%)
7. Belgium (2.61%)
8. France (2.60%)
9. Taiwan (1.99%)
10. Denmark (1.69%)

Visits from around the world (click for a larger image)

Sources

As expected, most users comes from search engines as my site has mostly long tail traffic.

Most users comes from search engines, more users start to come directly (goodie!)

From Referring sites, top sites where (thanks for the traffic);

1. forum.whiskyforum.se
2. twitter.com
3. facebook.com
4. whiskynotes.be
5. derwhisky.de
6. whiskywhiskywhisky.com
7. glasgowswhisky.com
8. winesandspirits.se
9. drwhisky.blogspot.com
10. canadianwhisky.org
11. guidscotchdrink.com
12. blog.thewhiskyexchange.com
13. whiskyinfo.se

Top searches

Users who came from search engines searched for lots of Japanese whisky, but also some of the new releases, top searches where;

1. karuizawa 1968
2. hakushu distillery
3. chwisgi
4. karuizawa 1975
5. whisky news
6. whisky lover
7. abhainn dearg distillery
8. whisky
9. ardbeg rollercoaster
10. glendronach octarine
11. karuizawa cask 4592
12. clynelish 14 review
13. smws 116.12
14. karuizawa 1977
15. highland park saint magnus
16. chwisgi.com
17. tullamore dew black 43
18. springbank madeira single cask 1997
19. ardbeg supernova 2010
20. laphroaig 1960
21. noh whisky
22. karuizawa cask 6955
23. caol ila 25 review
24. warenghem distillery
25. glen elgin distillery

Top content

Top content for 2010 where lots of Japanese content but also some of my interviews and some distilleries.

1. Startpage
2. /register/
3. /single-malt/
4. /single-malt/karuizawa-1968-bot-2010-cask-no-6955/
5. /members/jenswedin/
6. /members/
7. /single-malt/karuizawa-1977-bot-2010-cask-no-4592/
8. /distillery/hakushu-distillery/
9. /news/
10. /?distillery=Karuizawa
11. /distillery/black-white-scotch-whisky/
12. /?bottler=Karuizawa
13. /about-contact/
14. /distillery/box-distillery/
15. /distillery/glenmorangie-distillery/
16. /distillery/abhainn-dearg-distillery/
17. /news/aberlour-‘spiorad-na-feis’-limited-edition-available-at-single-malts-direct-scotch-whisky-news/
18. /blog/interview-mark-connelly/
19. /activity/
20. /blended/
21 /distillery/
22. /blog/interview-with-jorg-bechtold/

So to summarize 2010, it’s been a good year. Hopefully 2011 will be even better with more traffic, more members and more activity.

“If the word addict didn’t have negative connotations I would use it to describe my approach to whisky, but the truth is it is an interest that I pursue with zest and it consumes much of my free time.”

I first found Marc aka @whiskybrother on Twit­ter where he of course tweets about whisky. Please raise your hands for Marc!

1. Tell me a little about yourself?

I’m a proud South African, currently working as a manager for a Financial Services Provider. Whisky is strictly a hobby, although one that I take fairly seriously. Taking something seriously by the way, doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with it.

2. How did it all start, what’s your first experience of whisky?

I started drinking whisky in my teens. My mother usually had a bottle of J&B in the cupboard, and on weekends when my friends were over we had have a sip. Even back then I really didn’t mind the taste. I progressed on to Johnnie Walker, and then several years ago I got a bottle of Glenlivet as a gift. When I tasted it I realised what I had been drinking didn’t compare, and started my single malt whisky journey.

3. What’s your favourite and worst whisky experience and why?

I don’t have one particular favourite yet. In general it’s the evening’s I’ve spent in the company of friends with good conversation over good whiskies. A highlight was a trip to a local whisky bar last year for my birthday. The bar has such an unbelievable selection and I tasted some rarer whiskies and really took my time to appreciate and savour them. Worst experience? The occasional whisky hangover is never fun, but apart from that no really bad whisky experiences.

4. What’s your opinion on today’s whisky rating systems (1-10, 1-100, stars etc.)?

I’m very much in favour of rating whiskies. Yes, of course scoring a whisky is subjective and very much dependent on previous experiences, mood, environment, etc. but these factors will affect your tasting notes as well. You have to take the time to understand an individual’s rating system so you can calibrate it to your own and interpret it correctly. What I don’t like about rating whiskies is that some people don’t seem to apply any restraint and just give high marks for any average/good whisky. I will never understand this. They in essence negate their rating system and render it null and void. If you give 90% of your whisky scores more than 90/100 then you’re doing it wrong and should rather stop rating.

5. How do you taste whisky? Do you use water, and when?

I always use a copita nosing glass and never used water no matter how high the alcohol content. Only in the last few months have I started adding a drop or two of water to some ‘shyer’ whiskies, and some exclusively heavily sherried ones; it helps to explore the intricacies.

6. How is the whisky ‘climate’ (bars, clubs, events & magazines etc.) in your country?

South Africa is surprisingly on the map when it comes to whisky. We are the 5th largest importers of Scotch by volume, and 8th by value. We have a fantastic annual Whisky Live Festival that lasts a total of 6 days in two different cities (3 days per city), and attracts over 18,000 people. Thankfully the producers, writers and brand ambassadors also make the long trip and as such there are superb masterclasses available to attend and interesting people to meet.
We also have the Wild About Whisky bar I referred to earlier that is under 2 hours drive from Johannesburg. It stocks over 700 different whiskies and is one of my favourite places ever. The owners are very friendly and ultra knowledgeable. It’s a great escape from the city over a weekend.
Other than that there are several whisky clubs that you can join, a distillery or two to tour, several local whiskies to try, other bars with a decent section, and a new whisky magazine that will be coming out early in 2011. So yes, quite a lot going on in the SA whisky scene… there could always be more though!

7. What’s your opinion on different cask-finish expression?

I don’t feel very strongly about cask-finishes, neither good nor bad. You get some amazing finishes, and you then you get many lackluster ones. At one stage it was a bit overboard with too many distilleries finishing whisky in any uncommonly used cask they could get their hands on, but today it is not as bad. The experimentation boom is over, it’s now time to use the knowledge gained to carefully select what spirit will benefit from what finish – assuming the distiller has the skill to do it.

8. Where in the world would you like to go to try whisky? Why, do you have a favourite place, distillery or country?

I’m embarrassed to say I haven’t been to Scotland yet… but I’m planning my virgin trip in 2011. So I eagerly anticipate drinking a peated single malt on a cold day on Islay, or in a dunnage warehouse. In SA my favourite places to drink whisky are at my place, my good friend’s place who is also a whisky enthusiast, and Wild About Whisky.

9. What whisky trends are you seeing, how does the future look like?

At the moment, I think the future is very bright for whisky worldwide. Most distilleries are struggling to keep up with demand and thus the increase of No Age Statement (nas) whiskies, which we can continue to expect more of. With this high demand and limited supply we should unfortunately expect prices to continue to increase.
I also think more and more distilleries will begin to release expressions that do not fit with their more tradition house style. I.e.: typically ex-sherry using distilleries will start releasing more ex-bourbon. The same goes for peat as we’ve started to see with several Highland and Speyside distilleries.

1. Filip Ling
2. Gal Gra­nov
3. Jörg Bech­told
4. Mark Gille­spie
5. Thomas Maufer
6. Stef fen Bräuner
7. Dan Hvit­man
8. Mark Con­nelly
9. Jason Johnstone-Yellin
10. Scott Harris
11. Ruben
12. Marc Pendlebury

“WhiskyNotes is my personal collection of impressions, written while searching for the ultimate single malt whisky. A work in progress, and an exercise for the senses.”

I first found Ruben aka @WhiskyNotes on Twitter where he of course tweets about whisky. Please raise your hands for Ruben!

1. Tell me a little about yourself?

I’m a Belgian webdesigner who has just returned to Belgium after living in Spain for a while. I studied art sciences, and I guess you can say that I love things that are beautifully made. Like whisky.

2. How did it all start, what’s your first experience of whisky?

In my twenties, I emptied a bottle of Chivas Royal Salute 21yo that was sitting in my parents cupboard for as long as I could remember. It was a nice dram but I didn’t become interested until I tried a Japanese Suntory Hibiki and Lagavulin 16. It was clear that the range of flavours in whisky was huge. My brother in law discovered it at the same moment, and our common passion got slightly out of hand. It was only after a few years (and after trying 100+ whiskies) that I started to record my notes on a blog.

3. What’s your favourite and worst whisky experience and why?

I can’t possibly pick one favourite whisky. Among my best experiences are the 1940/1950′s whiskies (ed. for example the Haig Gold Label) that I was able to try. Even though I wouldn’t rank them very high, it’s clear that they were produced in a totally different world. That’s a unique feeling. Worst experience… do you know the “fishky“? An experimental Bruichladdich finished in a cask that was previously used to store salted herring. Enough said, right? It was like a caricature of finished whisky.

4. How do you taste whisky? Do you use water, and when?

I try at least 5 new whiskies a week and reviewing them takes about half an hour per whisky (in general, the older the whisky, the more time I dedicate to it). The process itself is pretty streamlined and consistent, so I don’t have to spend much time on the technical side of updating my blog. Apart from that, I spend several hours reading books and other websites. If I would remember my dreams, I’m sure there would be a lot of whisky in them.

5. What’s your opinion on today’s whisky rating systems (1–10, 1–100, stars etc.)?

I still like the 100 points system, because it’s so common and very easy to relate to. Smaller scales (1-10 or 5 stars) tend to lose much of the subtleties. I understand the downsides of scoring systems, but I haven’t found a better alternative. For me, the tasting notes are much more important than the score so I don’t worry about it too much. Contrary to most other reviewers, I don’t mind altering a score when I taste the same whisky afterwards and the experience is different. I don’t claim my scores to be perfectly consistent, all I can do is try to be honest.

6. How do you taste whisky? Do you use water, and when?

I try to taste whisky in pairs or small series. I have around 500 whiskies available (both open bottles and samples), which means there’s always a reference I can use. Even though I don’t necessarily refer to the compared whisky, it helps to spot the differences. I always try them neat, but I tend to add water to cask strength whiskies in the end, just to see the effect.

7. How is the whisky ‘climate’ (bars, clubs, events & mag a zines etc.) in your country and city?

I think Belgium is a unique country when it comes to whisky, with one of the highest concentrations of whisky amateurs. We have several amazing retailers, a couple of excellent bottlers and a constant stream of tastings and festivals. More importantly, the whisky community is great, with a few connoisseurs that I really look up to. Living in Spain made me realize how wonderful the whisky climate in Belgium is.

8. What’s your opin ion on different cask-finish expression?

I’ve tasted a few good finishes, but they’re still far and few between. I’m hopeful though. I have the impression some distilleries are really getting the hold of it, so I guess we’ll see less experimental finishes in the future, but better quality.

9. Where in the world would you like to go to try whisky? Why, do you have a favourite place, distillery or country?

I’m not a romantic soul. I think my whisky tastes the same at home as on a boat deck in Port Ellen, if that’s what you mean. As long as there are like-minded souls to share the drams with, I don’t think the location matters.

10. What whisky trends are you seeing, how does the future look like?

Whatever the future may bring, I’m not one of those people who claim whisky was much better in the old days. I do realize that distilleries are bringing out younger whisky all the time (at ever increasing prices), but I think there’ll always be good whisky to be found. I also believe that when more people get interested, distilleries have more chances to investigate and try new things.

Did you enjoy the inter view? If you would like to be part of the serie or know some one else who would, please let me know.

1. Filip Ling
2. Gal Granov
3. Jörg Bechtold
4. Mark Gillespie
5. Thomas Maufer
6. Stef fen Bräuner
7. Dan Hvitman
8. Mark Connelly
9. Jason Johnstone-Yellin
10. Ruben

1. Tell me a little about yourself?

Catoctin Creek is a family-run distillery.  We decided to open the distillery because of our love of fine spirits and the desire to produce a hand-crafted product on our own.  Becky has a background in Chemical Engineering, and it is she who does most of the day-to-day distilling, while Scott, with his background in business and computers, tends to the accounting, marketing, and pretty much everything else in the business.  Our boys, Eddie and Luke, even get into the action, helping to bottle, pump, stir, or clean whenever they are needed.

2. How did it all started, what’s your first experience of whisky?

My very first whisky was a Glenlivet (shouldn’t that be everyone’s first whisky?).  I fell in love right away.  From that moment on, I was determined to one day have my own distillery, which in the United States, is quite a difficult dream to have.  Distilling spirits in the United States is illegal without a proper business license.

3. What’s your favourite and worst whisky experience and why?

My favorite whisky experience involved a glass of Ardbeg 10 year old on a cold winter camping trip.  The Ardbeg simply warmed the soul!  Worst experience?  Probably consuming too much blended whisky while smoking my first cigar.  It was not a good night!

4. How is the whisky ‘climate’ (bars, clubs, events & magazines etc.) in your country?

In the United States, the whisky industry, especially the craft industry, is experiencing a renaissance.  People are really interested in hand-crafted and local products, and spirits are not to be left out.  We get enormous interest from our local region for the spirits we produce.

5. What’s your opinion on different cask-finish expression?

I love to see experimentation and new ideas.  While I value the traditional approach, without experimentation, nothing wonderful and new would ever be discovered.  Therefore, I rather like the new trend for sherry, port, and rum casked whisky.  The Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban is simply delicious, though it is more like a wine than a whisky in many ways.  That said, at our distillery, we maintain a fairly traditional approach to finishing whisky:  in 30 gallon new Minnesota white oak casks.  The casks really impart a rich caramel flavor into our Roundstone Rye, maturing it very much beyond its apparent age.

6. Where in the world would you like to go to try whisky? Why, do you have a favourite place, distillery or country?

I would drop everything for another trip to Scotland.  And trying out the new whisky in Japan would be fun.  I’m seeing now that even places like Sweden, Finland, Germany, and India are making whisky, so maybe a world tour is in order!

7. You run a distilling company, please tell me how it all started?

It all started when I would not leave my wife alone about the idea.  I kept bothering her, “Let’s start a distillery.”  Finally, she said, “Well, then write a business plan!”  I don’t think she thought I would, but I did, and now we have a business and a working distillery!  It has been an amazing journey, and a lot of fun along the way!

8. Running a distilling company must be hard work but very rewarding, tell me little a how a normal day can look like.

We start very early.  At 5:00am we arrive to turn on the still.  Then we will distill through the morning until about 12:00.  If we’re running two shifts, we’ll spend a few moments cleaning out the still, before we load it to run again.  This would last until 6pm, when we clean up the still to go home.  We typically do this five days a week, with another day to do chores like bottling, festivals, etc.  During the week, it’s Becky doing all this work, while Scott holds down the “day job” at his government contracting company.  Then, on Sunday, we rest.  It’s a grueling schedule, but we are really enjoying what we’re doing.

9. You have different products in your portfolio, please tell us a little bit about them.

Our three anchor products are all made from the same rye mash:  The Mosby’s Spirit, Roundstone Rye, and Watershed Gin.  When we produce a rye mash and then distill it, the hearts of that distillation is our Mosby’s Spirit unaged whisky.  It is delicious and smooth and a very nice spirit.  This spirit, when we age it in the barrel, becomes our Roundstone Rye, which is also a very nice spirit, but where all the light fruitiness of the Mosby’s is replaced by a caramel flan profile obtained from the oak.

At the end of our distillation, our tails are collected and double distilled to produce a clean neutral spirit.  This becomes the base spirit for our Watershed Gin.  We will macerate the herbs in the base spirit, and then redistill the gin-wash a third time to produce our gin.

We also produce grape brandy, since grapes are plentiful in our region, and have produced a very limited release pear brandy, which is available for Christmas.  As we continue in this business, we would like to offer a special fruit release spirit or liqueur every now and then, just to keep things fun!

10. You distill rye whiskey, Roundstone Rye, what is the story behind this whiskey?

Roundstone Rye was named after a small fishing village in the westernmost part of the Connemara in Ireland.  A few years ago,  we visited this village on vacation, and it happened to be my son, Eddie’s birthday.  So while eating dinner at the local pub, we asked our waitress if we could get some cake for his birthday.  She disappeared, and a few moments later, reappeared with not just cake, but candles, balloons, and half the town to sing him happy birthday!  We were overwhelmed by their friendliness, and felt this was a nice way to honor the village.

It is especially apt, since our Roundstone Rye is very light and smooth, very much in the tradition of Irish whisky.

11. Many of your products are organic, please tell me a little about why this is important for you?

Organic means truly better spirits. It really does. When herbicides and fungicides are applied to grain, those chemicals become embedded in the fiber of the grain.  Then, when you distill the alcohol from those grains, those chemicals are concentrated and come through as chemical “off-flavors”.  The only way to fix those “off-flavors” is to age for a prolonged period of time in charred oak barrels, where the carbon can absorb the synthetic chemicals.  Our grains have never seen chemicals like these, and the distillate coming off the still is incredibly clean and smooth.

Further, the organic label guarantees you a high level of transparency and accountability in how we produce our spirits. It underscores our commitment to providing you the highest quality spirits and to protecting and restoring our environment.

12. Owning and running a distillery is probably many peoples dream. Could you please give me a few advice if I where to start an distillery.

If you want to start a distillery, you need at least one of the following:  (1) great wealth, (2) great work ethic, (3) experience as a distiller, (4) experience as a small business owner.  You don’t need all four of them, but you better have at least one!  I see so many people that want to start this business but have no real idea where to start.  It is OK to have a dream, but at the end of the day, this is a very hard business, and there are many barriers to entry!  (Especially in the United States)

13. What whisky trends are you seeing, how does the future look like for you and your distilling company.

We are seeing continued interest in local and craft brand spirits.  Just like the boom in the 90′s of American microbreweries, the American microdistilleries are taking off and creating many exciting new products.  Our goals are modest:  We would like to become a solid regional brand in the United States, producing the very best spirits available.  If people love our spirits, the rest will take care of itself.

It’s clear when I first enter that I’m a real nerd, I mean really big, haha. Most people are happy sipping Lagavulin 16 and checking the news from Carlsberg when I’m on the hunt for that little table with rare single casks and never-heard-of African beer. African beer was a joke, do they make beer? No? Or do they? Send me an note if they do!

The festival is divided with tiny stands from small independent bottlers/brewers to large stands with flashing lights and “booth-babes” (the ones almost naked smiling and flirting with everyone…). Yeah I enjoy them too, no need to lie. There’s also this luxurious stand with old bookshelves, a fake fire, some big leather seats and a fancy looking fellow in an Armani suit. I think it was Glenfiddich but no visits during my stay and sure I can only speak for myself but I don’t wan’t let my ass grow bigger in a leather chair sipping Glenfiddich 40 hearing the rambling from some fancy looking fellow… I wanna with elbows and fist get my way trough the floor to my favourites and  talk with the people who get their hands dirty for their passion.

Here is some of the fine spirits I tried during the festival. Some notes got lost and some I were sloppy. As always it’s highly personal and you might not think as highly about them as me.

Big thanks to the people at Symposion (swedish) for their great knowledge, kindness and this fantastic package of whiskies from 1950/1960 at a great discount.

Benromach 1968, 45.4% Gordon & McPhail

I don’t know what to say. If you find a bottle get your dirty hands all over it no matter the price. I tried to take notes but lost myself in the glass admiring the work and love. My few scraps say: Sherry, coffee and chocolate. This is one of the few times when you just cant get yourself together and ruin it by taking it apart writing notes. Its beautiful, classic and fantastic. Nothing more to say, sorry. 95p

Coeur de lion 1973 Calvados

I have never been the one to find pleasures in cognac or old liqueur so this came as a happy surprise! Calvados is as you know aged apple cider from France. Never tried breaking down reviewing one but here goes nothing! Green apples and oak. Well there is not more then that but it somehow combines it feeling old powerful and completely sucking you to a French apple farm. Pure magic and I don’t know how to describe it any other way… Its magic! It’s marvellous! 98p

Coeur de lion Hors d’Age

Did the mistake of trying this after the Coeur de lion 1973 bottle so might not be a truly honest score. Directly it feels younger! Fresh green apples, less oak and a heavier reminder of the fiery alcohol. This is a great starter to explore this all-award-winning Calvados! 85p

Glen Grant 1955, 50 years 40% Gordon & McPhail

No notes. 92p

Glenburgie 1964, 43% Gordon & McPhail

Sweet smoked blackcurrant! Mmm! 91p

Glenlivet 1955, 50years 40% Gordon & McPhail

Reading my crappy notes: Roasted almonds, coffey, dandelion and pears. Do you think Gordon & McPhail need new staff? I will be first in line! 93p

Macallan 1968 43% Gordon & McPhail

Old Macallan, good stuff! This was probably the most peculiar drink i had during the whole day and it took me a while founding out the word i was looking for. Oh! Sweet sea grass! I know! What the hell? I love sushi and especially when they make these rolls with fresh stuffed sea grass. This was just like that! Love at first sip. 94p

Nikka Taketsuru 12 years

Like always I find myself in the situation of having tried the older version before the younger and perhaps then giving it a bad judge. An perfect example would be trying an handful of Ardbeg singles from 1965-1999 before even having tried the Ardbeg Ten. Think I still haven’t tasted that one, shame on me! Sorry back to Taketsuru! I’m a big fan of its 35yo family member so how does this newly released younger version fair? Mild grass, fudge a bit floral and chocolate. Easy sipping! 85p

Nikka 70th Anniversary Blend

This is the result from blending the Miyagikyo, Yoichi and Grain together from the 70th Anniversary series and is it a winner? Yepp. Absolutely incredible! Really complex with lots of exotic sweet fruits (probably the grain here!), green pears, plums, smoke and tobacco. Masterly crafted! 93p

Springbank CV

This is really not fair. As you’ve seen above there is a list of 1950s and 1960s whiskies tried. I got this one just for comparison the difference in making whisky in the 1950s and nowadays. It falls short and feels dull. Trying this alone I’ll bet it would score higher. Poor CV. 80p

Strathisla 1964 43% Gordon & McPhail

Good old well crafted Strathisla. Nothing more to say. 92p

Yoichi No Age Statement

Very smooth and easygoing. Little fruity, little smoky. A fine whisky at a great price. Its hard to believe but in Japan it costs only 5-6€ and therefore is the cheapest Single Malt in the world. Even cheaper then the one from Lidl… That says a lot. In Europe you going to pay around 50€ for a bottle and its only 50cl. It feels like a really bad choice when you could get the Yoichi 10yo instead. Its very good though, if your friends are going to Japan ask them to buy a hole box! 84p

Yoichi 12 years 70th Anniversary Bottling

Smells like cigarette smoke tastes like anchovy broth, not nice! Its like licking an salted ashtray. Its not bad, its still drinkable but i expected more from this fantastic packaged bottle. Pretty on the outside, salty on the inside. I’m not sure if i should fall for this salty cigarette dram but it didn’t go well tonight. 86p

Yoichi 1991, 18 years Cask No. 129374

Ah, here we go! Hard smoke. sea salt and pepper. Perfectly balanced and smooth all the way down! Heres a Yoichi to love! 91p

That was sure hard work! No, not really haha. A true pleasure! Tried of course a bunch of different beers but the names have completely vanished. What I remember strongest was a Danish beer with a devilish slogan. “devilish good”, something. Sorry neighbours! If anyone have any idea send me a mail ASAP!

Diageo was on site but all of the new 2010 releases of Port Ellen, Talisker, Brora, Glenkinchie had been delayed, too bad! I did have some really bad cravings for the PE 10th release and Glenkinchie 20yo.

One thing that bothers me with these events is the food. Since you cant leave the area and return and you really need to get something to eat your forced to these small freaking expensive small hot-dog stands. They charge around 4-5€ for a normal hot-dog. 8-10€ for a dry factory made burger or a sloppy tortilla filled with some sort of chili-dogmeat-stew. Don’t make me go there.

Over all, i loved it! I know Jens also visited this festival a week later and i am really excited to hear his thoughts. Too bad we couldn’t go there together!

Is there any festival in your country soon? Please write something about it and maybe we will drop by!

Questions? Just fire them away and I’ll answer asap.

1. Tell me a little about yourself?

I’m a 36 year old married father of two living in Pullman in the Pacific Northwest state of Washington (I’m four hours east of Seattle). I was born and raised in the Southwest of Scotland (the town of Ayr is about 30 minutes southwest of Glasgow) and have lived in the United States for almost nine years. For the last seven and a half years I’ve taught philosophy at the University of Idaho but now I’m transitioning into being a stay-at-home dad while I build my whisky business, Guid Scotch Drink (private tastings, whisky lectures, whisky tours, and the blog).

2. How did it all start, what’s your first experience of whisky?

Growing up in Scotland my dad and all my uncles drank whisky; cheap, blended whisky that was either mixed with water, lemonade, or ginger ale. It wasn’t until my first semester at the University of Aberdeen that a new-found Finnish friend, Pete Piirainen, and I started exploring the world of single malts together. Our first purchase was at the local supermarket: a whisky boxed set featuring a bottle of Glenfiddich and two cut-crystal tumblers for maybe £15. The Glenfiddich piqued our curiosity and when we discovered Highland Park later that semester we were hooked.

3. What’s your favourite and worst whisky experience and why?

I’ve been fortunate to have had a healthy number of fantastic whisky experiences from bottling Glenfarclas in the dorms at the University of Aberdeen, to bottling my own sherry cask Aberlour at the distillery, to sharing a number of unique expressions with members of my whisky society. However, here’s a story that my regular readers are probably tired of hearing about. Last year, while I was leading a private whisky tour of Scotland, I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Jackie Thomson at Ardbeg. She lead us through a quick tasting of a couple of Ardbegs but when she heard how interested we were in trying the sold out Supernova she scoured the distillery and found one unopened bottle. She didn’t hesitate to open it and pour some healthy measures. Tasting Supernova at Ardbeg was close to a religious experience!

I don’t like talking about worst whisky experiences as they’re so few and far between. Here’s one from the trip I just mentioned, though. I knew that our tour of Islay would coincide with the launch of Kilchoman‘s inaugural whisky release. I didn’t know that all 650 bottles allocated to the distillery shop for distillery only sales would sell out in four hours! I was at Lagavulin when I overheard one of the tour guides say to another that she’d just picked up the last two bottles of Kilchoman on the island. I quickly jumped in the car and drove to the distillery only for them to reinforce what I’d just heard. I did pick up a miniature of the inaugural release, just to salve my wounds!

4. What’s your opinion on today’s whisky rating systems (1-10, 1-100, stars etc.)?

There are people who like them, people who don’t, and people working on useful, alternative systems (I liked what the Scotch Hobbyist had started doing). I don’t like to use a rating system even though I understand their value and use. I’d rather just present the various flavors that I detect and let the reader judge whether or not that’s the type of whisky they’d like to drink.

5. How do you taste whisky? Do you use water, and when?

I use a Glencairn blenders glass most of the time (sometimes I’ll use a Scotch Malt Whisky Society glass or a short, uncut champagne flute in my society). I enjoy swirling the spirit, watching it dance in the glass, and then I nose it for a long time. When I finally take a drink I use the “spoon” technique: imagine you tongue is a spoon, pass the liquid over your teeth and into the bowl of the spoon, hold it for four seconds and then flatten your tongue and allow the spirit to pass over every part of your tongue, then lick your gums, the roof of your mouth, and the insides of your cheeks. Then do it again! I’ve been known to use water if the spirit is too closed without it. I drip one drop at a time off the bottom of a spoon or my finger. I’ve never found a dram that required more than four drops to open up and change it’s character.

6. How is the whisky ‘climate’ (bars, clubs, events & magazines etc.) in your country?

When you live in the US there’s a little something for everyone! We have Malt Advocate Magazine which is great, Whiskyfest and the Scotch Malt Whisky Society Extravaganzas are great travelling events, and there are great whisky bars all of the place: The Highland Stillhouse in Oregon City, Oregon; The Whisky Attic in Las Vegas, Nevada; The Dundee Dell in Omaha, Nebraska; and many, many others. There’s also so many good US-based whisky blogs: Jewish Single Malt Whisky Society; The Casks; Scotch Hobbyist; Whisky Party; WhiskyWall; and, again, many, many more. It’s hard to complain about the whisky ‘climate’ even if I’m still 5000 miles from Islay!

7. What’s your opinion on different cask-finish expression?

I have nothing against them, they just don’t tend to fit my flavor profile. I don’t tend to like sweet whiskies so a young Islay, aged in ex-bourbon, and bottled at cask strength is normally my style. However, I’ve recently enjoyed The Balvenie 17 Year Old, Madeira Cask, Glenmorangie Nectar D’Or, Sauternes Wood, and a host of superbly crafted whiskies from Compass Box, so I guess I’m slowly coming around to cask-finishes having a future in my collection.

8. What is your opinion on the whisky snobbery that some are talking and writing about?

I think a certain amount of it is inevitable. Whenever any of us want to prove that we know a little something about a given topic it’s easy to go a bit overboard and sound especially pretentious. Once we feel more comfortable with our level of knowledge I think we calm down a bit and learn to have some more fun with the topic. I’m also convinced that the longer we hold on to the importance of “Tradition” in all things whisky the longer we’ll look down upon those who shirk certain traditions in whisky production. Look at the advent of wine cask-finishing, no age statement releases, and bottlings from whisky maker John Glaser. All good fun and worth a look. Whisky is about having fun and exploring new things. Why get all stuffy and bogged down? Relax and enjoy a dram!

9. Where in the world would you like to go to try whisky? Why, do you have a favourite place, distillery or country?

Getting back to Scotland to lead whisky tours means that I semi-regularly get to drink on Islay, in Speyside, and at great whisky bars in Scotland from which I’d otherwise feel horribly disconnected. Handling the malted barley at Laphroaig is a special treat, walking along the side of the Spey on a sunny day with a covert flask of Glenfarclas is pretty amazing, as is taking someone to Islay for the first time. So, with that taken care of, I’d love to tour Japan, visit her distilleries and whisky bars, and see the spectacular natural settings in which some of the distilleries reside. I’d also like to get back to Sweden in order to visit Mackmyra.

10. What whisky trends are you seeing, how does the future look like?

Obviously, no age statement releases are upon us and aren’t likely to go anywhere anytime soon. As mentioned above, I have no issue with this tradition-bucking trend but I hope the prices will begin to settle soon. Some recent Ardbeg and Bruichladdich releases have really broken the bank. While we’re talking about pricing, in the nine years I’ve been in the US I’ve watched good, entry-level whiskies move from just over $20 a bottle to just over $30 and now their creeping over $40 a bottle. I’d like to see every distiller have an entry-level whisky in the $25-$35 range (maybe I need the dollar to rebound as an international currency before this can become a reality!). As for the future, I love the international explosion in single malt whisky production (Amrut, Kavalan, St George — UK & US, Penderyn, McCarthy’s, and Mackmyra, to name just a select few) and hope that when non-Scottish whisky brands are banging on the doors of long-established Scotch markets we’ll see the Scottish distillers take their businesses to another level! I’m genuinely excited to continue my whisky journey in the 21st century.

1. Inter­view with Filip Ling
2. Inter­view with Gal Granov
3. Inter­view with Jörg Bechtold
4. Inter­view with Mark Gillespie
5. Inter­view with Thomas Maufer
6. Inter­view with Stef­fen Bräuner
7. Inter­view with Dan Hvitman
8. Inter­view with Mark Connelly
9. Interview with  Jason Johnstone-Yellin

Interested in being a Chwisgi.com sponsor? The users of Chwisgi.com comes mainly from US, UK, Sweden, Germany but of course the rest of the world (more numbers can be found here). Lots of people follows chwisgi.com on Twitter to stay abreast of the latest whisky trends from around the globe. To find out more, please contact me at jens@chwisgi.com

Below is a video with Brian Kinsman, Grant’s Master Blender explaining how he ‘nose’ a dram of whisky to get the most from the unique flavours and aromas.

How do you ‘nose’ & taste a dram of whisky? Do you use water or do you disagree with me or Brian Kinsman? Please add your thoughts below.

The good thing with with having monopoly is that they can buy large quantities of a product which makes better price for the market. Systembolaget also has a good variation of products and the people who work there is knowledgeable and service minded.  The less good is that you might miss really specialised shops and a differentiation of the market. Another great thing is that you can ask for the numbers of what sells and not in Sweden. This month a Swedish whisky magazine tested the big sellers here in Sweden. The numbers are from 2009 so they are a bit old (but probably the same for this year…). What really surprise me is what is on the list. As you can see from the list below, this is what sells most in Sweden, only blended, not one single malt.

Here are the most sold whiskies in Sweden during 2009, litre in parenthesis.

1. Lord Calvert 40% (740 070)
2. The Famous Grouse 40% (602 530)
3. Black Velvet 40% (382 974)
4. High Commisioner 40% (321 030)
5. Grant’s 40% (319 968)
6. Bell’s 40% (283 310)
7. Tullamore Dew 40% (237 336)
8. King Robert II Scotch 40% (177 429)
9. The Talisman 40% (174 135)
10. The Dundee 40% (151 045)
11. Steward’s 40% (138 551)
12. Jameson 40% (133 725)
13. Clan MacGreggor 40%(130 484)
14. Lauder’s 40% (127 740)
15. Cluny 40% (102 899)
16. Glen Grant 40% (91 949)
17. Seven Oaks Canadian 6 years 40% (83 455)

How is it in you country? Do have small stores or shops? What is the selection, choice and price for whisky where you live? Please add a comments below.

1. Tell me a little about yourself?

My name is Mark Connelly, I am 35 years old and live in Glasgow, Scotland, where I have lived all my life. I live with my partner and our little baby girl. I was previously a web designer but after being made redundant last year when the economy took a turn for the worse I decided to try and make a living from whisky.

2. How did it all start, what’s your first experience of whisky?

I think my first taste of whisky, apart from some cheap blend that I could barely drink when I was younger, was Laphroaig. It was loaded with ice which probably explains why I wasn’t put off by the strong taste at first and the alcohol. I was getting fed up with beer and was also looking for a drink with less sugar due to health reasons. Yeah, I know that sounds crazy but anyway, I liked the tastes and the culture surrounding my national drink. I attended my first tasting class, which was hosted by Diageo, and discovered a new favourite in Cragganmore. And so it began…

3. You are running a blog, forum & festival! Can you tell me little bit about them, history & how you can juggle so many balls in the air?

Everything I’m doing, apart from the blog at least, has been set up because I thought I could do better than what is currently available. I don’t want that to sound big-headed, things were just pretty bad. The forum, Whisky Whisky Whisky, now seems to be the busiest English language one that I can see and hopefully the festival will be much better than the current offering in this city.

As I mentioned I was made redundant and only took on work a couple of days a week so I could set up Glasgow’s Whisky Festival. I have now quit all the other work and am concentrating solely on the festival, the forum, the blog (just a bit of fun and really just for me), and another pretty big whisky-related venture which I can’t disclose right now. It should start around the same time as the festival, in November, which is a big headache for me but very exciting too!

4. What’s your favourite and worst whisky experience and why?

I don’t have one particular favourite but the thing I love the most is being in a traditional dunnage warehouse with the smells all around and pulling some drams out of a cask with a valinch. Nothing beats that for me. You are tasting a whisky straight from its resting place with nobody touching it and in the surroundings that it has probably sat in for years and years. I love it. You probably have to go to a smaller distillery to do this these days, though.

I don’t really have any bad experiences, other than perhaps getting a little too drunk on the odd occasion, but I think what frustrates me the most is when you take the time to visit a distillery and they don’t let you take pictures and some don’t even let you into a warehouse. That’s been my experience of any Diageo distillery tour.

5. What’s your opinion on today’s whisky rating systems (1-10, 1-100, stars etc.)?

I think the way Serge rates whisky on his WhiskyFun site is the best for me. I know a 4 or 5 star whisky will be good and a 1 or 2 star won’t be. I don’t need more than that. With anyone who rates out of 100 I look for whiskies rated in the 80s or 90s which is effectively the same as looking for 4 or 5 stars. Rating one whisky 95 and another 96 out of a hundred means nothing to me other than they should both be very good. Since it all boils down to personal taste and preference you only need a rough idea of what it’s like, not a percentage point.

6. How do you taste whisky? Do you use water, and when?

I rarely add water despite what others tell me. Maybe I just like the alcohol kick. Haha! Ralfy had tried to get me to do this but it more often than not tasted like watered-down whisky. If I wanted that I’d buy something at 40%. Yes, I know the chemicals break down and release the aromas etc but I just don’t get it. Probably just my senses. I added some water to a 4yo Ledaig sample the other day and that was one of the few times where I preferred it with water. It was well over 60% ABV, being so young, so that’s probably why. Everyone should do what they want with their whisky, though.

7. How is the whisky ‘climate’ (bars, clubs, events & magazines etc.) in your country and city?

Living in Scotland’s biggest city I should really have it all but it’s not perfect. I often feel we don’t have as much going on here as Edinburgh but there are plans for a few things that should hopefully happen soon. We have some good pubs here – I mainly visit the Bon Accord – but the shops and the events aren’t the best. I am a committee member of Glasgow’s Whisky Club and we put on some good tastings but there’s a definite need for more events here. I’m hoping to play a part in that with my festival and the other venture.

8. What’s your opinion on different cask-finish expression?

I’m not a fan in general. Being pretty cynical I wonder what they’re trying to hide by sticking it in a wine cask for 6 months. Like I mentioned above, for me the best whiskies are always the ones straight out of the barrel with no messing around. If it’s a good spirit in a good cask that is all you need.

9. Where in the world would you like to go to try whisky? Why, do you have a favourite place, distillery or country?

I would love to go to the US and visit some bourbon distilleries and try more of their whiskies. I like the idea of the microdistillery explosion there right now and would love to visit some.

10. What whisky trends are you seeing, how does the future look like?

Going back to the cask-finish question I see more and more of this happening just now, and I don’t think it’s a good thing. I understand the desire to innovate within the industry but I don’t think this is the way to do it. Hopefully it’s just a fad. Maybe the SWA has put too many restrictions in place that prevents anything else. Apart from that the future mostly looks good. There are a few small distilleries opening here in the next year or two and hopefully they will continue to treat whisky production as a craft rather than the industrial-scale methods at places such as Roseisle. More choice is a good thing in my book.

1. Interview with Filip Ling
2. Interview with Gal Granov
3. Interview with Jörg Bechtold
4. Interview with Mark Gillespie
5. Interview with Thomas Maufer
6. Interview with Steffen Bräuner
7. Interview with Dan Hvitman
8. Interview with Mark Connelly