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Eclectic Casks...

Posted by Kane Muggeridge on

Eclectic Casks... When we think of whisky maturation we typically think of two main cask types - ex-bourbon and ex-sherry… and there’s good reason for this.

By law, bourbon has to be aged in new charred American oak barrels prior to becoming bourbon and so the world is awash with these casks; they get one shot at doing the bourbon thing and then have to be sold on. As for sherry, until the mid 80s it was shipped abroad from Jerez in shipping casks and so these casks were also an abundant source of oak for maturation. These factors may well explain why these two styles rule the whisky world, but times are changing.

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Rochefort Trappistes 10..

Posted by Kane Muggeridge on

Rochefort Trappistes 10.. Having spent my formative years drinking wine, I have to admit, I love it when beer gets winey! And, well, what better expression of this mashup of styles than barley wine?

Barley wines are essentially strong beers with a high abv, made with barley not fruit and starting with a sweet wort with a high gravity. You need the sugar, of course, to generate the alcohol but, whatever is left behind, will feed into the beer's malt profile, opening up the possibility of big hops to balance. These beers are typically dark, malty, fruity and hoppy (to a lesser or greater degree). What’s not to like right!

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St Bernardus Abt 12..

Posted by Kane Muggeridge on

St Bernardus Abt 12.. The story of St Bernardus is a complex one that begins with monks and cheese and an exodus from France...

It's the early 1900s and the Trappists of Mont des Cats are an unimpressed bunch. The local French laws of the day tax their not so ill gotten gains and, noticing that the same law has yet to be implemented in Belgium, they up sticks and move all of about 10 kms to the town of Watou, just over the border in Belgium. 

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Trends In Whisky...

Posted by Kane Muggeridge on

Trends In Whisky...

Whisky is an industry steeped in tradition but at the moment, change is in the air.With new distilleries appearing all around the world and an apparent insatiable thirst for the stuff, the market has become increasingly crowded and cluttered, which is pushing a need to differentiate and diversify.Of course, the modern drinks consumer is now well versed in variety, thanks mainly to sectors such as craft beer, where the rules are more relaxed and there is seemingly no bounds to the possibility of experimentation. This has forced whisky’s hand, to a certain extent, and we have seen a loosening up...

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Famous Scottish Distillery Neighbours..

Posted by Kane Muggeridge on

Famous Scottish Distillery Neighbours..

Neighbours... everybody needs good neighbours right… and the world of scotch whisky is full of examples of distilleries that were built on top of each other. If you were to throw a stick whilst on a visit to Speyside you’d probably hit a distillery as this region is absolutely teaming with clusters of neighbouring distilleries, most notably around the towns of Rothes, Keith, Dufftown and Elgin. But, Glen Grant and Caperdonich (which was sadly demolished in 2011), had a special relationship and these two were literally joined by a pipe. Caperdonich was built as part of an expansion phase at...

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