The 2015 World Whiskies Awards jury has made a decision. The best single malt in the world is from Taiwan. You will therefore find it in this 2015 big winners edition. In this spring edition, we look at Canadian whiskies with Davin de Kergommeaux. Lastly, we head for Speyside for a look at how the small, traditional distillery of Benromach has acquired the stature of a much larger one.
In this edition, our special file focuses on rum. This spirit has seen huge growth over the last 10 years. Faced with this explosion, the need for organisation is becoming increasingly apparent and with it, the idea of creating a classification, as our specialist Daniele Biondi explains. In which category would we find the Plantation rums, which we discuss with Alexandre Gabriel, or Botran, which Cécile Fortis tells us about from Guatemala?
CONTENTS
NEWS
WHISKY: Glenlivet Founder's Reserve &#P,& Nadurra First Fill, Balvenie 25 Year Old Single Barrel, Glenmorangie Tusail, The Best of Independent Bottlers, Aultmore 12 Year Old, 21 Year Old and 25 Year Old, Midleton Dair Ghaelach, Chivas Regal Extra, Cellar Sounds, Glenrothes 1968 Extraordinary Cask, Glann ar Mor Maris Otter Barley 2015, Highland Park Odin, Compass Box Hedonism Quindecimus and Peat Monster Magnum, Singleton of Dufftown Spey Cascade, Amrut Naarangi, Cellar Sounds, Macallan, Signatory Vintage Single Grain Collection, Benriach 18 Year Old Pedro Ximenez Albariza, Checklist.
Duty free whisky: Glenmorangie Dornoch, Aultmore 12 Year Old, 21 Year Old and 25 Year, Kilbeggan 21 Year Old, Jim Beam Single Barrel.
Whisky playlist: Vulson White Rhino Rye.
Location playlist: Bristole, Très Particulier, Bains Douches.
News from the whisky world: Joe Bates, Ian Buxton, François de Guillebon, Philippe Jugé, Davin de Kergommeaux, Christine Lambert, Nicholas Sikorski, Serge Valentin.
SPIRITS: Caroni, Suze Cocktail Bitters, Bacardi, Hennessy 250 Collector Blend, Shortcross Gin, Schweppes Heritage, Quaglia, ABK6 Honey Cognac Liqueur, Christian Drouin 1995, So Sauternes, Colombo Gin, Fair Gin, Bitter Truth Havana Club 7 Year Old Bitters, Parati Cachaça, Vedrenne Aloe Liqueur, Cointreau Blood Orange, Travel Diary, HSE Titouan Lamazou, Gölles, Cotswolds Dry Gin, Gin del Professore, Checklist.
Spirits playlist: Saint James 250th anniversary batch
Location playlist: Death by Burrito, Le Nid du Hibou, La Grille, Mezcaleria.
News from the spirits world: Christine Croizet, Cécile Fortis, François de Guillebon, Christine Lambert, Philippe Jugé, Antoine de Tournemire and Cyril Weglarz.
FILE
Whisky: Word of mouth: Colin Scott#P,& World Whiskies Awards 2015#P,& Distillery: Benromach#P,& Technique Compass Box Blending School, Irish Whiskey Academy#P,& Focus: The Canadian Whisky Renaissance.
Spirits: Word of mouth: Alexandre Gabriel#P,& Investigation: Rum Classification#P,& Distillery: Botran#P,& Focus: The Ideal Rum Library#P,& Event: Martel at 300 years#P,& Story: Gin 1495#P,& World Drinks Awards 2015.
ART OF LIVING
Whisky: Escapade: London#P,& Gastronomy: Victoria 1836#P,& Alliance: Baton Rouge#P,& Whisky Fun: Ode to Forgotten Whiskies#P,& Top Ten: On the Summits of the Isle of Islay.
Spirits: Trends: Gin#P,& Cocktails: Cuba#P,& Cocktails: Rhum Agricole#P,& Gastronomy: Cognac: Alliance: Les Rouquins#P,& Fun Spirit: Why are the French giving cognac the cold shoulder?
NEW RELEASES TASTINGS
Whisky: Caol Ila 2000 13 Year Old Douglas Laing Old Particular, Old Pulteney 1990, Dry Fly Triticale, Machrie Moor Cask Strength First Edition, Midleton Very Rare 2014, Edradour 13 Year OldPort Wood Signatory Vintage Straight From the Cask, Elijah Craig 23 Year Old Single Barrel, Glendronach 12 Year Old Sauternes Cask Finish, Bowmore 10 Year Old The Devil's Cask 2nd Release, An Cnoc Cutter, Ardbeg Kildalton, Loch Indaal 1982 Wemyss Vintage Malts, Colonel E. H. Taylor Straight Rye, Breizh Whisky, Buffalo Trace 12 Year Old Experimental Collection Floor 1, Buffalo Trace 12 Year Old Experimental Collection Floor 5.
Spirits: Beach House Spiced, Trois Rivières VSOP, Plantation Rum Belize XO, Saint James Fleur de Canne, Rum Nation Caroni 1998 2nd Batch, Soplica Szlachetna, The 86 Company Aylesbury Duck, Gin del Professore Jerry Thomas Speakeasy, Gin del Professore A La Madame, Vulson White Rhino Rye, The 86 Company Cabeza, Merlet VS, Rémi Landier Héritage, Laballe 3 Year Old Ice, Laballe 12 Year Old Rich, Laballe 21 Year Old Gold.
The Whisky
Eye: Philippe Jugé
Spirits: Olivier Bon, Pierre-Charles Cros and Romée de Goriainoff - Experimental Group