Cheers Café Bar 10A Broad Street, Fraserburgh AB43 9AH Tel: 01346 517620

***A Multiple National Award Winning Licensed Premises***

Masters in Whiskies Menu

A whisky education and profile of over 100 Scottish and

world whiskies (including bourbon) from drink supplier

MAXXIUM UK’s extensive brand portfolio

(Please note that we also have a full extensive Whisky Menu

detailing over 300 of our Scottish and world whiskies)

Tasting Tips from Bowmore: Get Ready Pour yourself a small measure of whisky. A glass that is narrower at the top than the bottom is best, such as our Glencairn nosing whisky glasses. Hold it by the stem so as not to warm the glass. Have a bottle of un-chilled water to hand (preferably Scottish spring water).

Check the Colour Hold the glass up to the light. Colour doesn't necessarily reveal age; rather it indicates how the whisky was matured. With Bowmore, depending on the particular whisky, the maturation could have been in casks that once held anything from Bordeaux to Bourbon. A golden-hued single malt was likely matured in sherry oak; a very pale whisky may indicate bourbon casks have been used. But wait a wee while before pronouncing judgement.

Look at the Legs Hold the glass at an angle and rotate it briskly, washing the inside walls of the glass with whisky. Now hold it upright and watch the liquid forming the 'legs' as it runs down the sides of the glass. Over time, single malts give up their lightest spirits to the 'angel's share' (evaporation, in other words). So the slower the legs, the more viscous the liquid - and the older the whisky. If you can get hold of two or three bottles of Bowmore of varying ages, you'll see what we mean. (Why not try one of our distillery tasting flights, which includes a Cheers Café Bar engraved Glencairn whisky glass?)

Nose the Whisky Hold your glass at arm's length then pass it smoothly under your nose, breathing in deeply through the nose as you do. Think. Imagine. What do those smells remind you of? The classic Bowmore aromas are smoke and peat, but you'll discover much more. Try to remember that 'signature'. Now pass the glass back under your nose and repeat the process.

Taste the Spirit Form your tongue into a small spoon shape in your mouth. Sip from the glass, letting the single malt nestle on your tongue. Try and articulate aromas and flavours you experience - remembering that they're complex and constantly changing.

Add a little fresh water Don't drown it. Just a few drops should be enough. Swirl the glass - you'll find the resulting mixture surprisingly mellow and drinkable. But rather than gulp, take a small mouthful along with some air. Note all the different aromatics and subtleties, the universe distilled into a drop of whisky. (We provide naturally sourced still Scottish water for our malts, not tap water)

Enjoy! Remember, there are no 'right' or 'wrong' articulations of the aromas and tastes you experience. So sit

back and enjoy the sensations. And then maybe pour yourself a wee drop more.

Contents

P1 Front page

P2 Tasting tips from Bowmore

P3 Contents

P4 Scottish whisky categories & American whiskey (bourbon)

P4 Importance of water

P5 Whisky regions of Scotland

Single Malt Scottish Whiskies P6 The Ardmore (Highland)

P6 Glen Garioch (Highland)

P7 Auchentoshan (Lowland)

P8 Bowmore (Islay)

P10 The Glenrothes (Speyside)

P12 Highland Park (Islands)

P14 Laphroaig (Islay)

P16 The Macallan (Highland)

P21 Malt whisky food pairings

Blended Scotch Whisky, Single Grain and Blended Malt P22 The Famous Grouse

P25 Teachers Highland Cream

P25 Cutty Sark

American Whiskey P27 Jim Beam bourbon

P29 Small batch bourbon collection

Irish Whiskey P30 Connemara Peated

Canadian Whisky P30 Canadian Club blended whisky

Japanese Whisky P31 Yamazaki single malt whisky

P32 Hakushu single malt whisky

Scottish Whisky Categories In accordance with the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 Scotch whisky is defined into 5 categories

Single Malt Scotch Whisky: A Scotch Whisky distilled at a single distillery (i) from water and malted barley without the addition of any other cereals, and (ii) by batch distillation in pot stills.

Single Grain Scotch Whisky: A Scotch Whisky distilled at a single distillery (i) from water and malted barley with or without whole grains of other malted or unmalted cereals, and (ii) which does not comply with the definition of Single Malt Scotch Whisky.

Blended Scotch Whisky: A blend of one or more Single Malt Scotch Whiskies with one or more Single Grain Scotch Whiskies.

Blended Scotch Malt Whisky: A blend of Single Malt Scotch Whiskies, which have been distilled at more than one distillery.

Blended Grain Scotch Whisky: A blend of Single Grain Scotch Whiskies, which have been distilled at more than one distillery.

American Whiskey (bourbon) Can be made in any US state, but production rules are strict. The mash must be between 51-80% corn, and the spirit must only be aged in charred white oak (Quercus alba) casks and be no higher than 62.5% abv when it enters the cask.

Importance of Water When adding water to a whisky do it gradually taking a wee sip each time. Whisky can benefit from a ‘wee drap’ of water to reduce the alcohol content to prevent it anaesthetising the nose and searing the tongue, thus allowing you to enjoy its aromas and taste more. But be careful not to ‘drown’ your whisky, especially older, delicate malts, and heavily sherried whiskies.

We provide free bottled still Scottish water and not tap water for our malts. We also have a selection of ‘Uisge Source’ water of Scotland (see below) available for our premium malts.

We have sourced our own natural spring water from nearby village Strichen, which is available most days. Please ask the bar for details.

Tap water contains chemicals such as chlorine and fluoride and these will affect the taste of the whisky, so it’s always better to use distilled or natural water if available. Water at room temperature is deemed most preferable as this least affects the whisky, however whisky is there to be enjoyed, so drink it as you see fit including with ice. If you like a cube or two of ice in your drink, please mention this to the bar staff who will provide you with our distilled ice from our under bar freezer.

Whisky Regions of Scotland

Scotland’s different geographic regions have a major influence on the properties of the whisky which is produced. The rough climate on the islands provides a different type of malt than, the one maturing in the calm lowlands of Scotand. Scotland is usually divided into four regions: the Highlands, the Lowlands, Islay and Campbeltown. The highland region is the largest, and is divided into: Western, Eastern and Central Highlands, Speyside and the islands (with the exception of Islay).

The Lowlands: The Scottish lowlands are called the Gardens of Scot-

land. The individual malts are generally light in weight, unpeated or very lightly peated. The lowlands are responsible for light malts with fruity characteristics plus fragrant and grassy. It is notable for its distilleries choosing triple distillation, such as Auchentoshan.

The Highlands: Speyside: A region in the highlands with a very high concentration of distilleries (over 50 in a

relatively small area). The region is named after the river Spey which flows through it. Spey water is soft and filters through granite. It is a highly regarded water for the production of whisky and is likely why Speyside has so many distilleries. This area is less peaty than elsewhere in the highlands. The Speyside malts generally have softer taste. Despite the large number of different distilleries that are close together, the malts differ greatly and have a wide variety of features and complexities.

Northern Highlands: A mountainous and stormy area with many different water sources. The

area stretches from Inverness to Wick, the most northerly point of mainland Scotland. The malts are full of flavour and often salty because many distilleries are landlocked.

Western Highlands: The area between Oban and Fort William produces soft and full malts. It is a

region where few distilleries are found. They have more of a peaty note than other mainland Highland malts

Eastern Highlands: Proffers full-bodied, dry, well-fruited single malts. Glen Garioch whiskies are

wonderful examples.

Central Highlands: This area borders the lowlands and extends to the beginning of the

Highlands. You'll find malts with different properties. The most southern distilleries lean towards Lowland malts, while the more northern are closer to Speyside malts.

The islands: These malts are produced on the islands of Mull, Skye, Jura, Arran, Shetland and

Orkney (Highland Park). The characteristics are varied: from fruity to peaty, with a salty undertone of the sea.

Campbeltown: On the Kintyre Peninsula, once the centre of the whisky industry in Scotland,

with more than 20 distilleries. Campbeltown whisky was very popular during the American Prohibition in the 1920’s, and was smuggled on a large scale. After this peak, however, followed downturn. At present there are only three distilleries

Islay: Islay is known for the heavy malts that are produced. Turf was for a long time the only

fuel. They have a strong peaty, smoky, sometimes medicated (iodine) and salty, smell and taste (but not all of them). Laphroaig is amongst the heaviest category of Islay malts. Bowmore is somewhat light-er than the former, but still robust, other malts are relatively soft and more fruity. They thus form a strong contrast with their heavier brothers. Islays’ Port Ellen distillery does not produce much malt whisky, however it provides the distilleries on the island with malted sbarley.

Single Malt Scotch Whisky The Ardmore Built in 1898, Adam Teacher established the distillery to ensure a good supply of malt for Teachers blended whisky. The build followed a surge of demand for Teachers products and was part of an extensive expansion of the company, including an international marketing campaign. Lying just below Knockandy Hill, alongside the railway line between Inverness and Aberdeen, Ardmore was

one of the last remaining distilleries to rely on coal powered fires to heat its stills and did not convert to steam until 2001. The whisky is matured in American oak bourbon and refill casks

Ardmore Traditional Cask unchillfiltered 46% abv:

This single Highland malt has no age statement and is finished in its last year in small quarter casks. Nose: Rich with heather smoke, honey, fruit, spice and a whiff of antiseptic. Taste: Medium-bodied and quite sweet, with distinctive smoky, earthy flavour that does not dominate the delicious underlying honey and dried fruit sweet-

ness and oaky spice. Finish: Quite long, smoke and spice lingering tantalisingly at the end.

The Ardmore Legacy 40% abv: Released in 2014 to take the place of the Ardmore Traditional, the Legacy brings a lightly-peated, wood spice-led flavour profile to the table. At its core, the Ardmore Legacy is made with 80% peated and 20% unpeated malt. Nose: It leans more on the savoury than the sweet side of things, with light barbecue char and earthy notes up-front. Sweet cinnamon, fresh honey and vanilla toffee waft up at points. Taste: More charred, smoky notes, joined by drying oak, pear drops and subtle grassy touches, then citrus zest and expressive heather appear. Finish: A lasting peat smoke finish, with a little bit of honeyed barley for good measure.

Glen Garioch (pronounced GLEN ‘Geery’) One of the oldest operating distilleries in Scotland – and its most easterly – Glen Garioch has been making its mighty malt in the quaint and historic market town of Oldmeldrum, near Aberdeen in North East Scotland, ever since 1797. Shielded from the world’s prying eyes, deep in the fertile ‘Granary of Aberdeenshire’, and only ever produced in small, precious batches, Glen Garioch is a rare find indeed, but warmly appreciated by those who like a hearty Highland malt, non chill-filtered as nature intended.

Glen Garioch 1797 Founder’s Reserve 48% abv:

The quintessential Glen Garioch, Founder’s Reserve celebrates the brothers who first established the distillery and the 200 plus years of craftsmanship that goes into every bottle that bears the Manson name.

Nose: Warm amber in appearance, sweet vanilla and sub- tle spice combine with fruitier green apple and grapefruits on the nose. Taste: Butter cream and vanilla pave the way to fruity green apple skin and citrus cleanliness. Finish: Elegant and subtle.

Glen Garioch 12 Year Old Single Malt Whisky 48% abv:

Introduced to Glen Garioch's standard range in late 2010, this 12yo is a mix of ex-bourbon and sherry casks, and like the other distillery bottlings since the revamp,

Auchentoshan (pronounced OCH-en-TOSH-an)

The new spirit is the highest distillate of any single malt distillery in Scotland. When you taste our new spirit, strong notes of fruit and citrus are revealed because we have distilled away all the impurities in the liquid. As such, making Auchentoshan the smoothest, most delicate tasting single malt scotch whisky. And that is why Auchentoshan is highly acclaimed across the world since 1823. It’s more time consuming. It’s more expensive. And it’s also absolutely unique – no other Single Malt Scotch Whisky goes beyond two distillations for every drop. The extra distillation takes the spirit to

around 81% – not 70%. This dramatically affects the character of the new make spirit, helping to create a subtle whisky that matures beautifully in oak.

American Oak 40% abv: Triple distilled and matured solely in American bourbon casks. The result: a Lowland Single Malt Whisky with the sweet aromas of vanilla and coconut - along with the signature smooth, delicate, Auchentoshan taste. Nose: Bourbon vanilla and coconut with layers of zesty citrus fruit. Taste: Refreshingly smooth yet live-

ly with vanilla cream, coconut and white peach. Finish: Crisp with sugared grapefruit and a hint of spice.

Auchentoshan 12 year old 40% abv:

Triple distilled then matured for over twelve years. Our Lowland Single Malt Whisky has the tempting aroma of toasted almonds, caramelised toffee and the signature smooth, delicate, Auchentoshan taste. Nose: Crème brulee, a burst of citrus and the signature nuttiness and green leafiness of Auchentoshan. Taste: Smooth and sweet with hints of tangerine and lime. Finish: Gingery and slightly drying, with a pleasant lingering nuttiness.

Auchentoshan Triple Wood 43% abv: This unique Auchentoshan Lowland Single Malt Whisky has been matured in three different cask types. Moving from American Bourbon to Spanish Oloroso Sherry - and finally Pedro Ximenez Sherry casks - Three Wood is a rich, complex whisky with incredible toffee and sherry oak flavours. Nose: Blackcurrant, brown sugar, orange, plum and raisin. Taste: Fruit and syrup. Hazelnut with hints of cinnamon and lemon. A butterscotch sweetness

adds to the overall complexity. Finish: Fresh and fruity, with long lasting oaky sweetness.

Auchentoshan 18 year old 43% abv: Triple distilled and matured in American bourbon oak for over eighteen years. The result: a refreshing Lowland single malt whisky with the added infusion of ripe citrus and green tea, the warmth of toasted almonds and the signature smooth, delicate, Auchentoshan taste. Nose: Fresh tobacco leaf - then sweet with a hint of caramel-ised sugars, green tea and toasted almonds. Taste: A floral freshness with sweet barley sugar at first this gently ebbs to reveal a tangerine zestiness. The palate is left alive and refreshed. Finish: A long, lingering and well balanced dram that invigorates the mouth.

Auchentoshan 21 year old 43% abv:

Triple distilled and aged perfectly for over twenty one years in American bourbon and Spanish sherry casks. This creates a refined Lowland Single Malt Whisky, ripe with gooseberries, sweet creamy vanilla, a hint of oak, warm honey, and the signature smooth, delicate, Auchentoshan taste. Nose: Ripe gooseberry notes together with sweet vanilla and oak, combines with a freshly cut barley flavour. Taste: Light chocolate and soft green

fruit, with a twist of old oak and honey. Finish: Long and lasting. demonstrating real depth of character.

Auchentoshan Flight: (Includes American Oak, 12 year old, 18 year old and 21 year old plus our engraved Glencairn whisky nosing glass)

Bowmore 'The Queen of the Hebrides', Islay (pronounced "eye-la") is located just off the west coast of Scotland. Its mild climate and rich peaty soil make it ideal for creating whisky, and despite having a population of not much more than 3,000, it's home to no fewer than eight distilleries. Islay has a long and distinguished history. First inhabited around 7500BC by the early hunter gatherers, this little island was once the main seat of power in the west of Scotland, home to the mighty Lords of the Isles. Today, Islay is an archaeological treasure trove as well as a mecca for whisky lovers.

Bowmore the place and Bowmore the celebrated Single Malt share many claims to fame. The island's administrative capital and crossroads, Bowmore the place was the first planned village in the country, founded in 1768. Just 11 years its junior, the distillery at the community's heart produces the First Islay Malt. Bowmore Distillery has stood on the shores of Loch Indaal, a sea loch that opens out into the Atlantic Ocean, since 1779. The distillery's proximity to the sea plays a vital role in shaping the final character of the spirit, which breathes in the salty sea air all the while it's maturing.

Bowmore's celebrated Single Malt has been distilled on this jewel of an island, the Queen of the Hebrides, ever since 1779. This makes it the first of Islay's eight distilleries chronologically speaking. Bowmore is widely acknowledged to be among the finest and most perfectly balanced single malts in the world.

It's Bowmore's unique combination of the purest water from the Laggan River, floor-malted barley that has been carefully smoked in a peat-fired kiln, the finest oak casks left to mature in their No. 1 Vaults, Islay's natural environment and a dedicated team of craftsmen that together create the perfect balance for which Bowmore is known and loved. The whisky is made the same way today as it has always been, by a dedicated team of craftsmen, using time-honoured techniques passed down from one generation to the next. A job for life, the Distillery Manager has worked at Bowmore for over 40 years, as a man and boy!

Bowmore's now legendary No. 1 Vaults is a very special place. The oldest maturation warehouse in Scotland and the only one below sea level, its dark, damp and cold conditions are perfect for maturing whisky. It's here that the single malts spend their long lives maturing in specially selected oak casks, gradually developing the finest of flavours. Bowmore is one of an ever decreasing handful of distilleries to produce its own floor malted barley. Every four hours, the barley is still laboriously hand turned by Maltmen using traditional tools, just as it has always been. It's an expensive process by modern stand-ards, but one that's well worth preserving judged by the results.

Bowmore Small Batch 40% abv: Exclusively matured in first and second fill ex bourbon casks, then blissfully married together, Small Batch exhibits the best qualities of both. First-fill bourbon offers delicious vanilla sweetness, subtle spices and bourbon oak smoke to complement Bowmore's gentle peaty smokiness, while the second-fill cask enhances Bowmore's fresh fruity complexity and showcases its trademark honey and creamy malt character. Nose: vanilla fudge, sea air and peat smoke, balanced beautifully by honeycomb and cinnamon spice. Taste: Mouth-watering citrus,

gentle saltiness and vanilla with flakes of coconut. Finish: Wispy smoke, bourbon vanilla and lime finish.

Bowmore 12 year old 40% abv:

Complex yet perfectly balanced, this 12 Years Old reflects the raw essence of Bowmore - thrashing waves, windswept landscapes and generations of tradition. Bowmore 12 Years Old has received much critical acclaim; the late, great whisky writer Michael Jackson proclaimed it "remarkably long and complex". Bowmore like to think of it as vanilla ice cream at a beach bonfire. Nose: subtle lemon and honey, balanced beautifully by Bowmore's trademark peaty smokiness. Taste: sweet and delicious heather honey and gentle peat smoke.

Bowmore 15 year old Darkest 43% abv: Matured in an inspired combination of both bourbon and sherry casks, it's the final three years spent in Oloroso sherry casks that gives Bowmore 15 Years Old 'Darkest', one of the most beautifully balanced Bowmores, the rich, deep colour reflected in its name, and its warming finish. Nose: delicious dark chocolate, sun-dried fruits and a tell-tale wisp of Islay smoke. Taste: Wonderful cedar wood and rich treacle toffee. Finish: Robust and complex with a hint of sherry tannin.

Bowmore 18 year old 43% abv: Cosseted away in the finest, hand-selected oak casks and allowed to mature at its own sedate pace, this is one of the most remarkable, perfectly balanced malts of its kind. One of our rarest most exceptional bottlings, the stocks of Bowmore 18 Years Old may be limited but there's no end to its enjoyment. Nose: Classic Bowmore smokiness, perfectly tempered with creamy caramel, chocolate and ripe fruit aromas. Taste: Beautiful soft fruit and chocolate balanced with a light smokiness - incredibly complex. Finish: Long and wonderfully bal-anced.

Bowmore Flight: (Includes Small Batch, 12 year old, 15 year old Darkest & 18 year old plus our engraved Glencairn whisky nosing glass)

Smoky Martini: A half measure of Bowmore 12 year old single malt whisky mixed with ice until

ice coated with the fine spirit then drained followed by adding a double measure

of premium No.3 London Dry gin to the flavour enhanced ice, double strained

into a ice cold martini glass and garnished with lemon peel.

The Glenrothes Nestled in the Scottish Highlands, the Speyside region is universally acknowledged as the heartland of Single Malt Whisky distillation. Hidden in a tree-lined gorge, The Glenrothes Distillery is situated in the heart of Speyside beside the Burn of Rothes which flows from the Mannoch Hills into the River Spey.

What makes The Glenrothes different is also what makes it exceptional. At the Glenrothes, the Single Malt Whisky is bottled at the moment it reaches its peak of maturity and taste. Thus, all their whisky is, by its very nature, Vintage. They say, age statements are no guarantee of quality or taste. What happens to the whisky in the cask is far more important than the number of years it spends inside it. Much like a fine wine, whisky matures at its own pace. Which is why each individual cask is carefully checked, nosed and tasted many times over many years, until perfect.

Every expression created must have its own unique personality, underpinned by the distillery's characteristic flavour profile - ripe fruits, citrus, vanilla and an exquisite spicy finish all encased in the creamiest of textures and with a complex yet well-poised balance. Only when it meets thorough requirements is it be bottled, either as a Reserve, as a unique and finite Single Vintage, or as a much sought after Special Release.

Select Reserve 43% abv: Produced to the same exacting quality standards as the Vintages, Select Reserve is a vatting of casks distilled in different years. It has been crafted to typify all that is The Glenrothes in its early prime. What they call the 'House Style'. Laden with ripe fruits, citrus, vanilla and hints of spice, the Select Reserve is the essence, the very heart of The Glenrothes range in terms of taste and flavour. From this expression all other Vintages are born. Nose: American oak, vanilla and coconut, hint of plums. Taste: Full

malty flavour, medium sweet, vanilla and orange zest Finish: Long and slightly spicy

Vintage Reserve 40% abv:

As lovers of The Glenrothes will know, our Vintage Single Malt philosophy is to bottle whisky only in those years that it reaches the peak of its maturity. We call this a Vintage. With that in mind, we are proud to announce the release of our Vintage Reserve, where you'll find a stunning combination of 10 carefully chosen Vintage from the last three decades. Nose: Unusually fragrant, soft in style, wafts of mature citrus and honeycomb accompanied with characteristic red fruits. Taste: Very soft silky/creamy mouth-feel. Red berry fruits swirl and dominate with time over the nebulous nuttiness. Finish: Mid to long citrus and honeyed vanilla and the faint reminder of first fill sherry casks.

The Vintage 2001 bottled in 2012 (Edition 1) 43% abv:

Selected from a variety of casks to deliver soft but stimulating and conversational properties. It com-bines the maturity of oaky vanilla, with the fullness of ripe black cherries and has a lingering, typically Glenrothes finish of soft spices. It has wonderful length and depth, hugely satisfying and an excellent demonstration of the Malt Master's skill and dedication to the art of wood management. Nose: Lemon meringue pie, sandalwood and a hint of black cherries. Taste: Oaky vanilla, cream topped with grated nutmeg

Finish: Sweet oaky vanilla with lingering soft dry spiciness.

The Vintage 1998 43% abv:

The Vintage 1998 is the next Core Vintage to follow the Vintage 1991 and 1994. Nose: Rich, spicy vanilla, golden syrup and lemongrass Taste: Soft, mature, sweet vanilla with a hint of cinnamon.

Finish: Smooth, long, rich vanilla.

The Vintage 1995 43% abv: The Vintage 1995 was the first ever Vintage specifically laid in cask with the intention of, when mature, bottling as The Glenrothes. With about 30% from first fill American Sherry oak delivering butterscotch: Spice and dried fruits from first fill Spanish Sherry oak and the rest from refill casks giving the characteristic Glenrothes balance and complexity of flavour. Nose: Floral, citrus and butterscotch notes

with a hint of spicy white pepper and cedar-wood syrup. Taste: Rich, sweet, soft fruit flavour, leading to a rich

spiciness. Finish: Sugared citrus peel soft fruits, medium dry with abundant spices

The Glenrothes Flight: (Includes Select Reserve, 2001, 1998 and 1995 plus our engraved Glencairn whisky glass)

The Vintage 1988 bottled in 2011 43% abv: (Our engraved Glencairn copita glass is included in the price)

Vintages from the 1970's and 1980's are increasingly hard to come by. The Vintage 1988 is of that rare breed. Never before bottled the Vintage has benefited from more

than two decades maturing in a combination of Spanish and American oak; previously seasoned with both sherry and whisky. The combination gives the citrus notes a deli-cious cooked orange flavour and plenty of fruit as well which are evident on the nose and the palate. Nose: Rich, spicy: ripe, dark, berry fruits. Taste: Rich, full flavour: candied

orange peel, fruit compote. Finish: Very long, medium sweet.

The John Ramsay 46.7% abv. (Our engraved Glencairn copita glass is included in the price)

John Ramsay retired in June 2009. He was 'Malt Master' for The Glenrothes since the early 1990s. The genius behind the whisky's exceptional quality,

his signature has been on all fourteen labels since 2004. To mark this occa-sion he was asked to make an expression that he would be proud to sign his name to for the very last time. So he identified a pocket of 2nd fill American

Oak sherry casks from Vintages ranging from 1973 to 1987.These he married, reduced very gradually in strength without chill filtering to produce a Glenrothes that will stand as his legacy. Nose: Rich, spicy, blood orange and

vanilla. Taste: Rich, full flavour, balanced oak and fruit, mango. Finish: Long, mature and tactile, unmistakably American oak.

An exceptional and rare whisky.

Highland Park The FIVE keystones 1. Highland Park is one of only a handful of distilleries that still retains a traditional malting floor, turning each batch of malt by hand, in what is a physically demanding process. To malt our barley, we steep it in the mineral rich water from the Crantit spring, before transferring it to the

malting floor to slowly germinate. When it is ready, the barley is then placed in our kilns where the aromatic peating process begins.

2. One of the fundamental flavours in Highland Park single malt whisky is the delicate, sweet, aromatic peat smoke, which has given Highland Park its unique character since 1798. The Orkney Islands have an abundance of this sweet, heathery peat, which is around 4000 years old and is carefully selected from Hobbister Moor. The peat we cut is a mixture of textures and aromas ranging from a more floral heather-rich top layer, to a darker, denser material, the mixture giving the resulting smoke a slow burning and complex aroma. For Distillery Manager, Graham Manson, the peat is the key to under-standing and appreciating Highland Park; he describes its role as being “absolutely fundamental.”…

3. With as much as 70% of the overall flavour of a single malt whisky coming from the type of cask it is matured in, it is imperative to treat these handmade casks with a reverence and respect. Orkney is unusually blessed with a wonderfully temperate climate, with neither extreme cold or hot temperatures; perfect for a long, cool maturation in our traditional warehouses. Other distilleries often mature their casks far from the distillery. We feel that by staying close to home, we give our whisky a distinctly Orcadian personality, with a smooth character and lingering, delicate smokiness.

4. The majority of the Scotch whisky industry uses ex-bourbon barrels for maturation. At Highland Park, bourbon barrels are not routinely filled. Traditional oak casks are used; butts, puncheons or hogsheads – no barrels – all seasoned with dry Oloroso sherry, which contribute to the distinctive richness in the resulting whisky. Spanish oak casks seasoned with sherry give colour, spice and dried fruit character, whereas American oak sherry seasoned casks give lighter, sweeter vanilla and butterscotch flavours. Sherry oak casks are far more expensive but the view at Highland Park is that they are worth it for the rich character and natural colour they provide to the maturing spirit.

5. To ensure every bottle of Highland Park reaches you in perfect condition, the whisky is harmonised. Other distillers often see this practice as an unnecessary expense, but for us, it is an essential part of our rich heritage. Without it, Highland Park just wouldn’t be the same. Each individual batch of Highland Park is drawn together from a variety of cask types, contributing an array of distinct, unique flavours and additional harmonisation for up to six months perfectly marries them together. The impact this marriage has on the whisky is nothing short of stunning and ensures consistency, as well as adding complexity and exceptional balance on the palate.

Highland Park has been named The Best Spirit in the World (three times). It received World’s Best Single Malt for Highland Park 21 years old and the Ultimate Spirit in 2013 for Highland Park 25 years

old. This is the first time a spirit has been awarded a full 100 point score in the Ultimate Spirits Challenge. The rich, succulent, complexity of this exceptional single malt inspires passion in single malt enthusiasts everywhere. It has balance, character and provenance and, in that, epitomises all

that is great about single malt Scotch whisky.

Highland Park 12 year old 40% abv: First introduced in 1979, the 12 year old is at the very heart of the core range and demonstrates rich, well balanced malty tones, with the subtle floral smoke which makes Highland Park such a distinctive single malt whisky. Nose: Heather-honey sweetness, peaty smokiness. Taste: Rounded smoky sweetness, full malt

delivery. Finish: Sweet and lingering with heathery notes and subtle smoke

Highland Park Dark Origins 46.8% abv: Dark Origins is inspired by the cunning spirit and courageous personality of Highland Park’s infamous founder, Magnus Eunson. This latest addition to the core expressions uses twice as many first fill sherry casks than in the classic Highland Park 12 year old resulting in a naturally darker, richer flavour. Nose: Sherried spice and ripe bananas combine with toasted hazelnuts and baked apple Taste: Well-balanced, dry peat at first mellowing out to maraschino cherries, warm dark chocolate entices the palate Finish: Enduring sweet smoke

Highland Park 18 year old 43% abv: Considered by many whisky writers across the globe as the ‘industry’s favourite whisky’, Highland Park 18 year old is a masterclass of balance, complexity and refinement. Lingering layers of sweet honeyed malt, meet characterful dried fruit notes, marzipan and golden syrup, all wrapped up in swathes of our distinctive, subtle floral peat smoke. A whisky, which reveals more layers with every glass you enjoy. Nose: Rich, mature oak, top note of aromatic smoke Taste: Rich, full flavour, honey and peat Finish: Soft, round and long

Highland Park 21 year old 47.5% abv: Drawing its incredible character from predominantly American oak casks which have been seasoned with sherry, this 21 year old is a truly dynamic whisky, with an intensely fruity and spicy centre, surrounded by complex layers of candied orange peel, dark chocolate and rich, slightly drier smoke. It is a malt whisky that rewards patience and delivers an experience like no other. Nose: Butterscotch, dark chocolate and orange Taste: Full flavour, candied orange peel with spicy dark chocolate leading to a rich smoky sensation

Finish: Rich, complex, sweet smoky sensation then soft medium dry

Highland Park 25 year old 48% abv: (Our engraved Glencairn whisky nosing glass is included in the price) With a higher abv to preserve some of the highly complex notes, this 25 year old is matured using a very high proportion of first fill sherry casks, which not only impart a wonderfully rich, nutty spiciness but also an intensely dark and full bodied flavour profile: dried fruits, caramel, dark chocolate, golden toffee and slightly drier floral smoke all vie for your attention. The 25 years spent in oak have not diminished its personality and this whisky is also surprisingly sweet and vibrant, alongside its astonishing depth. Nose: Very rich, mature oak, chocolate; fudge Taste: Full, rich burst of flavour, soft honey; nutty toffee Finish: Rich, long and surprisingly sweet for its age

‘Best Spirit in the World’ 2013 International Spirits Journal, Paul Pacult

Highland Park 30 year Old 48.1% abv: (Our engraved Glencairn copita glass is included in the price) 30 years ago, the HP master distiller decided to lay down the casks that would go on to become the heart of this exceptional whisky and over these three decades, the whisky maturing inside them has developed an outstanding balance, with a seductive sweetness and extremely delicate smoke. Treating this whisky with respect will reward you with breath taking results: characteristic fudge sweetness comes together with complex aromatic spices and dark chocolate orange. It has a drying finish, leaving a gentle smoky flavour and an incredibly lengthy finish. Nose: Spicy, aromatic with notes of nutmeg and darkest chocolate Taste: A pow-

erful, full flavour with toffee, dark chocolate orange and peat Finish: Complex, rich, long and smoky

Highland Paradise: A double measure of Highland Park 12 year old single malt with a measure of

premium coconut syrup and a double measure of cream shaken and strained into a

coupette glass rimed with desiccated coconut.

A delightful cocktail with the taste of paradise!

Laphroaig (pronounced ‘La-FROY-g’)

Laphroaig is a distillery whose malts are massively individual and utterly distinctive. The distillery was founded in 1810 by brothers Donald and Alexander Johnston on what was originally a family run farm in a small bay on the southernmost tip of Islay. Laphroaig’s unique flavour comes in part from its vicinity to the coast and the high moss content of its peat, which is processed in the distillery’s own floor maltings. In making Laphroaig, malted barley is dried over a peat fire. The smoke from this peat, found only on Islay, gives Laphroaig its particularly rich flavour.

Laphroaig 10 year old 40% abv: Those enjoying the 10 Year Old will first notice the bold, smoky taste, followed by a hint of seaweed and a surprising sweetness. This full-bodied variant is the foundation of all Laphroaig expressions and comes with a long finish. Nose: Huge smoke, seaweedy, "medicinal", with a hint of sweetness. Taste: Surprising sweetness

with hints of salt and layers of peatiness. Finish: Lingering

Laphroaig Select 40% abv: Laphroaig Select takes its name from the special selection of American and European casks, chosen for their unique character that they give during maturation. The Islay distillery has taken whisky from a number of different types of cask, including Oloroso Sherry butts, white American oak, Pedro Ximenez seasoned hoggies, Quarter casks and first fill bourbon casks. Nose: Peat first, then ripe red fruits from the PX and Oloroso casks. A hint of dryness next from the American oak. Taste: This full bodied whisky is initially sweet up front- matching the nose, then the classic dry, peaty, ashy flavours come bounding in followed by a lovely rich finish arising from

the rich fruits of the European casks. Finish: long lingering florally finish - Marzipan and even limes at the end.

Laphroaig Quarter Cask 48% abv: Laphroaig Quarter Cask offers an irresistible doubling of flavour, due to the double maturation in two barrels made of American oak. Still-maturing whisky from standard ex-bourbon barrels is transferred to quarter casks and left to rest in a warehouse just a stone’s throw from the Atlantic shore. This process represents Laphroaig breathing new life into a once-defunct tradition: the use of the smaller cask size, which ensures increased contact with the oak, creating a soft and velvety edge to complement Laphroaig’s distinctive peatiness. Nose: Burning embers of peat in a crofters fireplace, hints of coconut and banana aromas. Taste: Deep, complex and smoky yet offers and surprises the palate with a gentle sweetness. Finish: Really long, and dries appropriately with smoke and spice

Laphroaig Cask Strength 55.7% abv: Original Cask Strength Laphroaig is bottled at natural distillery strength with all the depth of genuine taste and texture normally associated with sampling whisky at source. It’s matured in seasoned oak barrels, charred before filling to impart a slight sweet vanilla nuttiness. Original Cask Strength Laphroaig is barrier-filtered only just, to remove the small char particles present. This means you will enjoy Laphroaig exactly as it was made. In extremes of temperature and when you add water it may appear a little cloudy – this is the natural condition of a malt of such a peaty pungence and uncompromising purity. Adding a little water releases a rich aroma of peat smoke with some sweetness and strong hints of the sea. Nose: Very powerful, "medicine", smoke, seaweed and ozone characters overlaying a sweetness. Taste: A massive peated burst of flavour with hints of sweetness at

the end. Finish: Long and savoury

Laphroaig 18 year old 48% abv: This 18 Year Old expression of Laphroaig is made in limited quantities each year and savoured by a fortunate few. A soft, sweet and spicy Islay peat smoke greets you when you first open the bottle. The immediate taste is an oak sweetness, from 18 years in the barrel. A faint hint of the sea can be detected, testimony to its time maturing on the remote island of Islay. It is non-chill filtered for a depth of taste and texture. Nose: A soft toffee sweet but faintly spicy flavour counterbalances the trace of delicate phenols and fruit. An all encompassing smoothness brings these together. A touch of water allows the seaweed and salt to come through but not enough to overpower the vanilla and honey sweetness with just a trace of new mown hay and peat at the finish. Taste: An instant warming tang of smoke fades into smooth floral scents, which blends seamlessly into an oaky nuttiness and leaves a lasting sweetness on the taste. With a touch of water, the peaty warmth fills the mouth but does not overshadow the sweet chocolate smoothness. This is balanced by the rich toffee taste and slowly fades into a delicate hint of heather and peat smoke. Finish: Full bodied, long with a luxurious oily smoothness.

Laphroaig Triple Wood 48% abv: This expression has enjoyed a triple maturation in 3 types of cask. Just as with the Quarter Cask expression, the first maturation is in American oak, ex-Bourbon Barrels. They then select the most suitable of these barrels, containing a range of different aged spirit and transfer into small 19th Century style Quarter Casks for a second maturation. The final maturation is in specially selected, large European oak, Oloroso Sherry Casks. It is non-chill filtered for a depth of taste and texture. Nose: The initial flavour is quite sweet with a gentle mixture of sweet raisins and creamy apricots with just a trace of the dry peat smoke at the back, the smoother nutty flavours combine all these flavours into one smooth, syrupy whole. With a touch of water the peat smoke comes to the fore and masks the gentler fruitier notes. Even with the maturation being carried out in first fill bourbons, quarter casks and sherry butts, the intense bonfire ash smell of the earthy peat cannot be masked, Taste: With no water, a large initial burst of peat belies the slight lack on the nose but is gentled on the tongue by the creamier flavours of vanilla and fruit with just a suggestion of sherry sweetness. With a trace of water the peat reek is gentled, allowing the more complex flavours of citrus fruits and spices to come through. A slight tang comes from the European Oak balancing the creamier American White Oak. Finish: Mouth filling and extremely long but balanced by the sweet smooth caramel taste

Laphroaig Flight: (Includes 10 year old, Qtr Cask, Triple Wood & 18 year old plus our engraved Glencairn whisky nosing glass)

The Macallan The six pillars which make The Macallan so unique:

An exploration that takes you on a fascinating journey through The Macallan. Spiritual home: Built in 1700 Easter Elchies House is a fine example of a Highland manor house. The Macallan estate lies in an area of great natural beauty; its scale and diversity is unique among distilleries and is managed in harmony with the beautiful landscape. The estate covers 390 acres (158 hectares), of which some 90 acres are sown in the spring with our own exclusive Minstrel barley variety to make The Macallan. Sheep and highland cattle are at home here and woodland, beetle banks and areas of unharvested crop and unmown grassland attract biodiversity. The river Spey, one of Scotland’s most famous salmon rivers, borders the estate to the south and south-east.

Small spirit stills: The Macallan’s curiously small spirit stills are the smallest on Speyside. Their unique size and shape give the spirit maximum contact with the copper, helping to concentrate the ‘new make’ spirit and provide the viscosity and rich, fruity, full-bodied flavours so characteristic of The Macallan. There are fourteen of these curiously small stills, crafted from copper, each holding an initial ‘charge’ of 3,900 litres. These stills are so famous that they

have appeared on the back of a Bank of Scotland £10 banknote!

The Finest Cut: Only 16% of the final distillation from the spirit stills is taken to fill their oak casks. The best of the best. This small portion, or ‘cut’, is extraordinarily selective and one of the smallest in the industry. It is a prime reason for the full-bodied richness of The Macallan ‘new make’ spirit. The clear, colourless spirit is collected from the stills at an average 69.8% alcohol by volume. This distinctly robust and characterful ‘new make’ spirit is the starting point for all Macallan.

Exceptional Oak Casks: The Macallan spends more on sourcing, building, seasoning and caring for its casks than any other single malt whisky. The Macallan’s oak casks are the single greatest contributor to the outstanding quality, natural colours and distinctive aromas and flavours of The Macallan. In fact 60% of the flavour of a whisky is derived from the cask it is matured in. Because of this, The Macallan spends more per cask than any other distillery in sourcing, crafting, seasoning and caring for its casks. Spanish sherry seasoned oak casks deliver flavours and aromas of chocolate orange, dried fruits and spices; American sherry seasoned oak casks primarily provide sweet citrus, light spice, vanilla and light oak flavours and aromas; American bourbon seasoned oak barrels give flavours and aromas of sweet citrus, coconut and oak.

Natural Colour: The rich range of colours in The Macallan whiskies is drawn only from the wood of our exceptional oak casks. All colour in The Macallan whiskies, bottled by the distillery, is natural. Only the interaction of the ‘new make’ spirit with the oak of the maturation casks delivers the rich and natural diversity of colour throughout the range, from light oak through to darkest mahogany. These natural colours remain ‘fixed’, as opposed to artificial colour which fades relatively quickly in bright sunlight. Great skill is required by the Whisky Maker to achieve consistency of natural colour from bottling to bottling.

The peerless spirit: One of the world’s greatest whiskies. From humble beginnings in 1824, The Macallan has grown from a small local enterprise to global recognition, based on a constant and determined attention to quality. The Whisky Maker and his team nose thousands of samples every year to create The Macallan expressions recognised around the world. This exacting task, together with the ‘marrying’ of different casks for many of the expressions, is the last step in creating this, one of the world’s truly great whiskies.

The Macallan Sherry Oak The Sherry Oak range is exclusively matured in sherry seasoned oak casks from Spain and America for a beautifully dark, full flavoured single malt whisky.

The Macallan imports the majority of all new sherry seasoned oak casks into Scotland from Spain to mature scotch whisky. These are the most expensive of all cask types used.

The Macallan’s oak maturation casks are the single greatest contributor to the outstanding quality, nat-ural colours and distinctive aromas and flavours of The Macallan, they control the whole journey from forest to cask for both their Spanish and American oak seasoned casks.

A study commissioned exclusively by, and for, The Macallan showed that the exceptional oak sherry casks account for some 60% of the final aromas and flavours, so they invest heavily in sourcing, craft-ing, seasoning and caring for their casks.

Spanish oak, with its open grain and high tannin content imparts the classic aromas and flavours of dried fruits, spices and chocolate orange. American oak imparts a lighter colour, with sweet, soft aro-mas and flavours of vanilla and fresh fruits.

The Macallan Sherry Oak 10 year old 40% abv:

Nose: A hint of sweet toffee balanced with dried fruits and sherry. Taste: Smooth with dried fruits, sher-

ry sweetness and wood smoke. Finish: Dried fruits, sweet toffee and a hint of wood spice.

The Macallan Sherry Oak 12 year old 40% abv:

Nose: Vanilla with a hint of ginger, dried fruits, sherry sweetness and wood smoke. Taste: Deliciously smooth, rich dried fruits and sherry balanced with wood smoke and spice. Finish: Sweet toffee and dried fruits, with wood smoke and spice

The Macallan Sherry Oak 18 year old 43% abv: (Our engraved Glencairn whisky nosing glass is included in the price)

Nose: Dried fruits and ginger, with a hint of citrus, vanilla and cinnamon. Taste: Rich dried fruits with spice, clove, orange and wood smoke. Finish: Full and lingering with dried fruits and sweet toffee, ginger and a hint of wood smoke

The Macallan Fine Oak Triple matured in a complex combination of European and American oak seasoned with sherry and American oak seasoned with bourbon. A lighter style Macallan with flavours of citrus, vanilla and coconut.

The addition of American oak bourbon seasoned barrels imparts aromas and flavours slightly drier and more oaky than the American oak sherry casks, with more pronounced aromas and flavours of coco-nut, but with the lighter colour and sweetness associated with American oak

The Macallan Fine Oak 10 year old 40% abv: Nose: Complex with a hint of fruit and heather honey. Taste: Soft and malty balanced with oak and fruit.

Finish: Lingering with hints of oak and fruit

The Macallan Fine Oak 12 year old 40% abv: Nose: Complex with a hint of fruit and heather honey. Taste: Medium, balanced with fruit, oak and spice.

Finish: Lingering with dried fruits, oak and spice

The Macallan Fine Oak 15 year old 43% abv: Nose: Sublime and full with a hint of rose and cinnamon. Taste: Intense rich chocolate with a hint of or-

ange and raisin. Finish: Lingering with a hint of chocolate, orange and dried fruits

The Macallan Fine Oak 17 year old 43% abv: Nose: Heady, exotic and floral with a hint

of jasmine, tropical fruit and peat. Taste: Soft and rich with a hint of citrus, spice and wood smoke. Finish: Lin-gering with a hint of orange zest

The Macallan Fine Oak 21 year old 43% abv: (Our engraved Glencairn copita glass is included in the price)

This is a highly regarded malt.

Nose: Intense and rich with a hint of vanilla and passion fruit. Taste: Soft, rich and spicy with a hint of

oranges and peat. Finish: Lingering with a hint of wood smoke

The Macallan Fine Oak Flight: (Includes 10 y/o, 15 y/o and 17 y/o plus our engraved Glencairn whisky nosing glass)

The Macallan 1824 Series The 1824 series is 100% natural colour, 100% sherry oak. The Macallan whisky maker, Bob Dalgarno, has created each of the expressions by identifying the natural colours formed during maturation in different cask types and put-ting them together to create the character informed by the colours. As you progress up the range the whiskies’ colour becomes richer and their flavours more intense.

The Macallan Gold 40% abv: Nose: Lemon citrus, then orange peel and an interlacing sweetness that softens but doesn't eliminate the zest. A quiet note of vanilla is followed by dark chocolate with lingering floral and light oak notes. Taste: Citrus and boiled sweets rule the pal-

ate, along with hints of ginger and cinnamon, while soft oak tones reveal toasted apples. Finish: Medium sweet, malty and slightly dry.

The Macallan Amber 40% abv: Nose: Polite, almost apologetic at first, with a floral, citrus sweet nose that gains presence, command-ing a chorus of vanilla notes over freshly harvested grain. Raisin, sultana and cinnamon look on as toffee ap-ples and candy floss step into the limelight. Taste: Fresh green apples and lemons mingle with cinnamon. Gin-ger notes hover as fruit takes over, with subtle oak lingering in the wings. Finish: Light to medium with soft fruits and cereal, slightly dry.

The Macallan Sienna 43% abv: Nose: Opens with a subtle vanilla nose, persistent yet not overpowering. Orange elbows its way in, turn-ing zesty and sharp, though tempering green apples add freshness and balance. Next come white chocolate truffles, chewy, sumptuous, with elegant oak notes for a digestif. Taste: Dates, figs and raisins lead, then defer to nutmeg and ginger with a hint of oranges and apples, before vanilla returns in majesty. Finish: The final fan-fare is gentle, smooth and warming.

The Macallan Ruby 43% abv: Nose: Disturbed from a long sleep in a dark and quiet warehouse, European oak piques the nose before reluctantly admitting rich, dried fruits and an edgy trickle of treacle. A hesitant sweetness enters, then oak reasserts itself, burnished and mature. Taste: A rush of ginger, nutmeg and resin herald orange, sultana and raisin with their restrained but pervasive sweetness. Clove is here and gone, leaving oak the undisputed

maestro. Finish: Long, lingering and reflective.

The Macallan 1824 Series Flight: (Includes all of the above plus our engraved Glencairn whisky nosing glass)

Whisky Alexander: A measure of The Macallan Gold, a measure of Bols Crème de Cacao and a measure of cream, shaken and strained into a chilled martini glass and sprinkled with nutmeg or cinnamon.

The Macallan Rare Cask 43% abv: £19.95 (Our engraved Glencairn whisky nosing glass is included in the price)

Crafted to showcase complexity and depth, Rare Cask is drawn from the broadest spectrum of casks, 16 different types, ever identified by the Master Whisky Maker. Far less than 1% of those casks maturing at the distillery have been identified as fitting to bestow the Rare Cask name. With rarity at its core, this is a whisky crafted from casks so rare they will never again be used in any Macallan whisky. Combining Spanish and American oak casks, a high proportion of them first fill, gives rise to an exquisite whisky with splendidly rich hue, and an unmistakably woody whisky.

Nose: Opulent, yet soft and slightly meandering, picture an orchestra setting up: quiet vanilla with deep notes, already in tune; raisin bold and booming, though only in spells; chocolate a star performer, but not a standout; a sweet ensemble of apple, lemon and orange, beautifully balanced with a spicy quartet of root ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. Then oak conducts, mature and elegant, with patience only time delivers. Taste: The spicy quartet leads, loud and full, unwavering in their performance. Raisin dares to temper - and succeeds!! – but oak takes control; timeless, polished, rich and resonating. Vanilla and chocolate compliment each other in

the background. Finish: Light citrus zest, yet full and warming

The Macallan Select Oak 40% abv:

The Select Oak edition is a complex combination of first-fill European oak casks seasoned with oloroso sherry, and American oak casks seasoned with either oloroso sherry or bourbon.

Nose: Vanilla, butterscotch and a hint of damson. Taste: An effortless balance of vanilla and sweet spice

Finish: Medium sweet and luxuriously

The Macallan Maker’s Edition 42.8% abv:

Macallan Whisky Maker's Edition has been personally crafted by the distillery's manager, Bob Dalgarno, from a mix of sherry and bourbon casks and bottled at his preferred drinking strength of 42.8%. Originally released for global travel retail, this is fruity, sweet and spicy.

Nose: Fresh fruit and ginger rounded off with toffee sweetness. Taste: Delicate fruits, rich sweetness and spice

Finish: Lingering with a slightly smoky finish

The Macallan Amber Liqueur 25% abv: £ (Our engraved Glencairn whisky nosing glass is included in the price)

Amber is a luxurious single malt scotch whisky liqueur, delicately balanced with natural maple and pecan flavourings.

The first and only liqueur made by The Macallan introduced in 2005 and created for the US market. Despite its award winning success it was discontinued in 2008. It is now very rare.

Malt Whisky Food Pairings To enhance the pleasure of drinking your whisky there are various foods/snacks you can enjoy eating which will accompany them well. Here is some examples as suggested by the people at www.iwantotknowwhisky.com who offer a great e-learning course, which all our staff have undertaken.

ISLAY: (Tasting Note: salty, smoky, powerful) - Stilton, mature cheddar, venison, game terrine

SPEYSIDE: (Tasting Note: fruity, spiced, rich) - Dark chocolate, dried fruit, fruitcake, poached pear

LOWLAND: (Tasting Note: malty floral, light) - Shortbread, scone, brie, Turkish delight

HIGHLAND: (Tasting Note: subtle, light, vanilla) - Fudge, crème brulee, custard tart, cheesecake

ISLAND: (Tasting Note: subtle peat, dry, salty) - Salted almonds, olives, hazelnuts, pecans

CAMPBELTOWN: (Tasting Note: floral, tropical fruits, highly peated, salty) - Smoked salmon, oysters, scallops, sushi

We often make the following snacks available for you to try ‘pairing’ with whisky: mature cheddar, dark chocolate, fudge, salted almonds and shortbread. Here’s a picture of our tour of the region flight showing pairings for each region.

A Tour of the Regions: (Includes the five Scottish single malt whiskies above plus our engraved Glencairn whisky nosing glass) Pictured: Bowmore 12 year old (Islay), The Glenrothes Select Reserve (Speyside), The Macallan Gold (Highland), Highland Park 12 year old (Island) and Auchentoshan 12 year old (Lowland)

Blended Scotch Whisky, Single Grain & Blended Malt The Famous Grouse is a brand of blended Scotch whisky, first produced by Matthew Gloag & Son in

1896,.The single malt whiskies used in The Famous Grouse blend include Highland Park, The Macallan, The

Glenturret and The Glenrothes. It’s produced at The Glenturret distillery, the oldest distillery in Scotland. Grain

whisky represents 65% of the whisky in this blend. Its emblem is the Red Grouse, Scotland's national game

bird.It has been the highest selling whisky in Scotland since 1980.

1. The Famous Grouse 40% abv: Nose: Well balanced oak, sherry with a hint of citrus. Taste: Medium full flavour, ma-

ture, Spey side fruitiness. Finish: Good length, clean medium dry.

2. The Famous Grouse Cask Strength 59.8% abv:

A stronger version of the original low flyer above. Straight from the cask with no dilution.

3. The Famous Grouse Islay Cask Finish 40% abv:

Launched in 2001, this Famous Grouse is finished for 3 months in casks from Ardbeg, Bunnahabhain, Bowmore,

Caol Ila and Laphroaig. The first 6 weeks the spirit is finished in separate casks then it is all blended and

re-distributed in the very same barrels. Nose: Sweetish, smoky, briny, smell from an abandoned beach [reduced

whisky cake, later some chocolate & marzipan, Ameren cherries with ice cream]. Taste: Soft and creamy, spices

and peat (reduced: creamy like an ice cream with a whiff of cherries, warm and nice with a hint of liqueur).

Finish: Long, good, warming and slightly dry.

4. The Famous Grouse Married Strength 45.9% abv:

A special edition of the popular brand where the malt and grain whiskies are married for 6 months prior to being

bottled at 45.9% abv. Richer and more complex than the original.

5. The Famous Grouse Bourbon Cask Finish 40% abv:

This is a limited edition Famous Grouse aged in bourbon barrels. Nose: delicate and floral with a sweet touch of

milk chocolate and coconuts. Taste: Fresh ginger and vanilla. Finish: Quite long and spicy.

6. The Famous Grouse Port Wood Cask Finish 40% abv:

This blend is allowed to marry in specially selected port casks that impart a dried fruit flavour. Nose: Soft toasty

vanilla. Taste: Rich, soft, mellow, raisins and vanilla oak. Finish: Long, rich and finally port.

7. Naked Grouse 40% abv:

The Naked Grouse enriches the flavours of Scotland’s favourite whisky by maturing in sun dried sherry oak

The Famous Grouse Collection continued...

8. The Famous Grouse: Mellow Gold 40% abv:

Nose: delicate,, some subtle vanilla toffee, mild sherry. Taste: Smooth, creamy vanilla spread over mildly

sherried sponge, tangy orange marmalade and sweet spice. Finish: Mildly drying sherry and some lively spice

9. The Famous Grouse: Smoky Black 40% abv:

Nose: Smoky, soft & musky, rich and full. Taste: Full flavour, spice & dried fruits, smoke through the oak.

Finish: Long, smoky, aromatic

10. The Black Grouse Alpha Edition 40% abv:

A smokier expression than Smoky Black. It has a higher, older malt content, which delivers much more depth. Nose: Toasted orange peel, cinnamon sticks and dark chocolate. Taste: Sweet vanilla initially developing dry smokiness. Finish: On the nose the first display is sweet sherbet. Deeper exploration provides warm and richness before a lingering, velvety, smouldering, smoke-filled finish

11. The Snow Grouse 40% abv:

A pure grain whisky with no malt whisky added, chill filtered and designed to be drunk very cold—straight from our under bar freezer with ice! Nose: Soft creamy vanilla, cloudy honey, nutmeg and lightly oaky. Taste: Smooth

and sweet vanilla fudge. Finish: Sweet and lingering

12. The Famous Grouse Gold Reserve 12 year old 40% abv: This 12 year old features a higher percentage of malt whiskies in the blend. Nose: Rich full aroma, well balanced oak with a hint of peach. Taste: Rich, full flavour, fruit and oak, silky, well matured. Finish: Good finish, clean and medium dry.

Each year 43 million bottles of The Famous Grouse are enjoyed in no less than 94 global markets. But what is it that makes Grouse so popular? Well, according to the people at

The Famous Grouse … “We’ve distilled the essence of our famous blend in to four fundamentals:

Foundation: Guiding principles from a heritage of quality

Finest: Everything that goes into our whisky is of the very best quality

Flavour: Three kinds of cask add character to our maturing whisky

Fusion: The art of blending (The fusion of elements and of skills)

The Famous Grouse Collection continued...

13. The Famous Grouse 16 year old Edition abv: 40%:

Double matured whisky and a blend of 8 different whiskies, expertly finished in Spanish sherry casks and first fill

American bourbon casks. Nose: Caramelised pears, vanilla sponge cake and black cherries with a hint of cedar

wood. Taste: Spicy nutmeg and cinnamon bark with a smooth and silky vanilla. Finish: Medium, smooth and

subtle spiciness.

14. The Famous Grouse 18 year old Blended Malt abv 43%:

An award winning blended malt left undisturbed for at least 18 years, then married, allowing time to create an

exceptionally smooth rounded character. Nose: Christmas cake, macerated dried fruits. Taste: Raisins and

figs with a creamy mouth feel. Finish: Melted dark chocolate with a pinch of nutmeg.

15. The Famous Grouse 30 year old Blended Malt 43% abv:

A rare and exquisite blended malt which is an award winning combination of finest single malt whiskies . Nose:

Thick. Rum toffee, dried peels sherry, nutty spice. Taste: Good sweetness, muscovado sugar, rum, figs,

fruitcake. Finish: Fruity, gentle spice, medium long

16. The Famous Grouse Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2014

The Glenturret Single Malt Whisky 28 year old 46.4% abv:

The Glenturret whisky, a key ingredient in the Famous Grouse blend, was selected by Master Blender Gordon

Motion and bottled in 2014 at cask strength (the casks were laid down in 1986, the last time Scotland hosted the

games). A rich nose, packed full of tropical fruit notes, leading to a honeyed palate with hints of melon further

on. (A release of 1,800 bottles)

“It is… of paramount importance that only the very best materials that can be procured should be used in the manufacture of whisky”

William Gloag, 1868

17.The Famous Citrus infused with lemon, lime and orange abv 35%:

18. The Famous Vanilla infused with orange, star anise and cinnamon abv 35%

19. The Famous Spice infused with Madagascan vanilla abv 35%:

Perfect on the rocks or as a long drink with cola or lemonade and ice

The Famous Grouse Core Range: (Includes The Famous Grouse, Mellow Gold, Smoky Black, Snow Grouse and Naked)

The Famous Grouse Cask Range: (Includes Islay C/F, Bourbon C/F, Port Wood C/F and Cask Strength)

The Famous Grouse Malt Range: (Includes 18 y/o, 30 y/o, 28 y/o CG 2014 & our engraved Glencairn whisky nosing glass)

Teacher's Highland Cream 40% abv: £1.95 It is said that William Teacher would not give his name to his blend until he had found perfection. Highland Cream is that whisky. It uses fully smoked peat single malt whisky from The Ardmore distillery as its fingerprint whisky. Teacher's uses over 45% single malt along with about 35 other single malt whiskies. This gives it incredible depth and smoothness combined with a rich smoky undertone. Truly a masterpiece. A very famous blended whisky, a rather good blend too. Jim Murray awarded Teacher's Highland Cream 90 points in his Whisky Bible.

Nose: Fruity and well malted with gentle sweetness. Some smoke and a touch of honey. Taste: Quite big with a supple maltiness and the vaguest whisper of muted peat. Finish: Well fruited with toffee, malt and a faint hint of smoke.

Cutty Sark Cutty Sark was established on the 20th March 1923 with help from the famed wine merchants Berry Bros & Rudd. Whisky was becoming increasingly popular and the release of premium blended whisky was deemed to be a gainful proposition. The blend was created with only the best whiskies available, such were the wishes of Francis Berry, a

senior partner who also insisted the whisky’s hue be of a light persuasion. The name Cutty Sark was suggested by James McBey, a renowned artist who the Berry brothers had invited to lunch. Cutty Sark was named for the famed 19th century tea clipper, the fastest ship of its time and the name actually derives from the Gaelic for ‘short shirt’.

Cutty Sark Blended Scotch whisky 40% abv:

The Cutty Sark blend is made up of around twenty renowned single malt whiskies, predominantly from the Speyside region in Scotland, which are blended with high quality grain whiskies. Together they give Cutty Sark its naturally sweet and fresh, fruity-floral character. These single malt and single grain whiskies are matured in carefully selected American oak casks, which lend soft vanilla notes to the whisky. The malts are blended together, as are the grains, before, crucially, the final blend is left to marry in oak casks for up to 6 months before bottling . This allows the malts & grains to 'marry‘ and harmonize properly, so delivering a round, fuller 'mouth-feel'. Gentle filtration is the final key characteristic of Cutty Sark: while other blended Scotch whiskies are typically chill-filtered to maximise filtration strength and liquid clarity, Cutty Sark only undergoes a gentle filtration process, which retains more of the whisky’s natural oily texture, thus enhancing mouth-feel. Nose: Light, gentle. Cut herbs, floral,

custard, hay. Taste: Rounded, mixed peels, lots of barley. Finish: Good length, warming, malt.

Cutty Sark Prohibition Edition Blended Scotch Whisky 50% abv: Released 90 years after the end of the era which it celebrates and crafted as a salute to the notorious Captain William McCoy, who smuggled Cutty Sark blended Scotch whisky into America during the Prohibition era of the 1920s. Captain McCoy’s impeccable reputation for fairness and dealing only in the finest, genuine and unadulterated liquor gave rise to Cutty Sark being referred to as “The Real McCoy”. Prohibition Edition is bottled at 50% ABV (100 Proof – USA Measure), whilst our regular Cutty Sark blend is 40% ABV. This is a “small batch” blend of the finest single malts and top-quality grain whiskies. Hand-selected American oak casks give subtle signature flavours of vanilla and citrus fruits, whilst the overall flavours and finish are extremely smooth and thrillingly complex. The black glass bottle has a cork seal – reflecting the traditions of the time. Nose: There's custard notes familiar from the

40% ABV expression, though now paired with more citrus, pear and fudge cubes you get in sea-side sweet shops. Taste: Toffee chunks with a little bit of dark chocolate hidden inside. A touch of grassy malt and crushed

nuts. Finish: A final hint of caramel and golden malt.

Cutty Sark Storm 40% abv:

A blend of brooding depth and exciting complexity, Cutty Sark Storm has been crafted from older single malts. Master Blender, Kirsteen Campbell, has used a greater proportion of malts from Scotland’s most celebrated distilleries to create a profoundly rich whisky. Although bolder and deeper, Storm is in keeping with the Cutty Sark philosophy of accessibility and versatility. The tension of Storm lies between the depth of flavour of the older malts and the vibrancy of the fresher grains. The blend includes aged malts from Highland Park, The Macallan and other renowned distilleries. The top-quality grain whisky comes from Edinburgh’s North British Distillery. Nose: Spiced sherry, prunes and fruit salad. Toffee, vanilla and a little treacle without being too heavy. Taste: Creamy vanilla and oak alongside dried fruits

and more sherried notes, apricots too. Finish: Spicy with drying oak.

Cutty Sark Blended Malt Whisky 40% abv: An easy-drinking blended malt based on Glenrothes and Tamdhu from the famous Cutty Sark brand, established by Berry Bros & Rudd in 1923. While still faithful to the delicate Speyside Cutty style, this is noticeably fuller than the blended whisky of the same name. Nose: Gently floral with caramel and vanilla. Taste: lively, sweet Speyside malts, probably quite youthful, but elegant and very well dovetailed

together. Satisfying mouthfeel. Finish: Spicy and slowly drying.

Cutty Sark 12 year old Blended Scotch Whisky 40% abv:

Cutty Sark 12yo is a soft and elegant deluxe blend with pleasing drinkability and noticeably more depth than the standard issue bottle. Nose: Light, balanced. Salty character, buttery. Seville marmalade. Cut hay,

pear drops. Taste: Gentle, vanilla, touch of tropical fruit, perfume note, citrus. Finish: Good length, dried sea-weed, sweetness, oak.

Cutty Sark Flight: (Includes Cutty Sark, Prohibition, Storm, Blended Malt and 12 y/o)

Whisky Tom Collins with Cutty Sark A double measure of Cutty Sark blended Scotch whisky with a measure of freshly squeezed lime juice and around half measure homemade sugar syrup, built in a Hi Ball glass filled with ice and topped with soda.

Amercian Whisk(e)y: Jim Beam is the No.1 premium bourbon in the

world and the company have a fantastic range of variants to suit all tastes.

The Jim Beam story started when a group of German immigrants moved to America during

the eighteenth century. The first distillery was founded by one of their number, Johannes

‘Jacob’, of the German family, Boehm. The family named was changed to the more Anglo-

American ‘Beam’. Jacob Beam had land in Kentucky and quickly noticed how well-suited the

area was for cereal farming. He grew corn and grains which he eventually started using for distillation. In 1795,

Jacob began selling his whiskey under the name Old Jake Beam from his distillery, Old Tub.

In 1820, Jacob Beam’s son David began managing the distillery at just eighteen years of age. He soon began to

expand the brand. The distillery was moved to Nelson County for it proffered a valuable railway network and

would increase the distribution possibilities. Following the end of Prohibition, Colonel James B Beam managed the

business and in 1933 it was rebuilt in Clermont, Kentucky. Colonel Beam also bestowed his name to the compa-

ny, thus the whiskey became known as Jim Beam Bourbon. In 1935, the James B Beam Distilling Company was

established by a syndicate, including Jeremiah Beam who soon became the sole owner. In 1954, he founded

another distillery near Boston, Kentucky and, with the help of Jimberlain Joseph Quinn, he developed the brand.

In 1960, Booker Noe was appointed the Master Distiller at the Boston facilities and, in 1987, he launched a brand

of bourbon bearing his forename; Booker’s was the first cask strength bourbon. There has since been a range of

various bourbons released by Jim Beam, including the world’s top selling premium bourbon, Knob Creek, named

for a creek just south of the distillery where a young Abraham Lincoln once played.

Jim Beam White Label 40% abv: The bourbon undergoes distillation at lower temperatures and is

distilled to no more than 62.5%, the White label is aged for four years and has quite a high percentage of rye in

the mashbill. Nose: Quite sweet with gentle notes of vanilla and cut hay, a touch of fresh corn fields and a little

cereal sweetness, like the bluegrass fields of Kentucky. Taste: Good body with notes of toasty oak and all the

requisite notes of vanilla and crème anglaise, a little spice and pepper with an acetone note. Finish: Toasty

oak and resin with a some sweetness.

Jim Beam Black Label Aged 6 years Triple Distilled 43% abv: This is an updated

version of the classic Jim Beam Black Label. This Bourbon has been aged for six years and is one of the most

recognisable whisky brands in the world. Classic Bourbon caramel with some orange zest and vanilla on the

nose. The palate is silky smooth with toffee and honey notes which lead into a citrus dominated finish.

Jim Beam Devil’s Cut 90 proof 45% abv: To create Devil’s Cut, Jim Beam distillers begin by

emptying barrels of extra-aged, six-year Jim Beam Bourbon. The barrels are then agitated through a proprietary

process to pull the trapped bourbon and flavours from the barrel wood. The liquid (with the extracted elements it

now contains) is then held for an appropriate length of time in a proprietary process until it has developed the

proper balance of bourbon notes. In the final step, this special liquid is carefully added back to extra-aged Jim

Beam to create the finely-balanced, smooth 90 proof Devil’s Cut Bourbon. A robust premium bourbon with a

deep colour, aroma and character that showcases notes of wood, oak and vanilla derived from the barrel wood.

Jim Beam Red Stag 40% abv: Jim Beam infused with the natural essence of Black Cherry.

Jim Beam Apple 35% abv: Jim Beam infused with crisp, juicy apples

Jim Beam Maple 35% abv: Jim Beam infused with the rich, sticky sweetness of maple

Jim Beam Honey 35% abv. Jim Beam have taken their Bourbon and golden honey, and created

this honey whiskey liqueur. Nose: Classic Bourbon vanilla and caramel with a sweet notes of mead wafting on top. Palate: The palate is syrupy with gorgeous honeyed notes with a Bourbon kick. Finish: Acacia honey and caramel form a short but full-flavoured finish.

Jim Beam Green Label 40% abv: Aged for five years then filtered through charcoal, which gives it

a remarkably smooth flavour. Nose: Soft vanilla and caramel with a muted hot pepper note. Some slight nutmeg spice. Taste: Very soft mouth feel, much more so than white label. The flavour develops quite quickly through the caramel and pepper found on the nose through to a vanilla custard note with cherries and faint orange. Fin-

ish: Short and sweet with prominent vanilla and maraschino.

Jim Beam Double Oak 40% abv. The bourbon is first matured in new charred American white oak

barrels, before being transferred into a second charred oak barrel for a further period of ageing. The twice-barrelled production process draws out “perfectly balanced depths” due to the greater contact with the wood. Tasting notes include vanilla, toasted wood, caramel and toffee.

Jim Beam Rye 40% abv: Commonly referred to as yellow label It’s a favourite of whisky bible author

Jim Murray, and won best rye aged under 10 years in 2010, scoring 88 points. Yellow label boasts 51% rye in the mashbill, and it's aged for four years before bottling. Nose: The spice is immediately apparent, nutmeg, cloves, freshly-ground black pepper. It's clearly going to pack a punch. There's also some maraschino notes too, with a thick caramel undertone. Taste: The spice delivery is not immediate; first there's a brief caramel vanilla note be-fore it plunges you in. All the notes from the nose are here, delivered with a pleasant, fiery warmth. Fin-

ish: This rounds off to smooth cherry and pepper, with a slightly citric sweetness.

Jim Beam Signature Craft 43% abv: Signature Craft is a series of small batch bourbons from

Jim Beam. Alongside the limited releases sits this 12 year old, the permanent member of the range, which dis-plays a balance between sweetness and oak. The extra aging serves it well. Nose: Toasted bread, aniseed and spicy rye with cinnamon, honey, vanilla, caramel and faint wisps of smoke. Taste: Toasty and faintly smoky. Lightly cinnamon spiced dry oak is balanced by vanilla, marzipan and sweet maple flavours. Finish: A drying finish, lingering hickory smoke and cinnamon spice.

Jim Beam Kentucky Dram 40% abv: An innovative hybrid release from Jim Beam, this is a blend

of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey and peated whisky from Ardmore. This has a unique blend of sweet vanilla, toffee and peat. Nose: Relaxed vanilla, a little caramelised fruit and just a hint of smoke. Taste: More vanilla, greater oakiness, classic bourbon notes. There is a wood smoke peatiness, however, that's more prominent on

the palate tan it was on the nose (perhaps aided by some barrel char). Finish: Wood spices and wood smoke.

The Small Batch Bourbon Collection: Comprised of Knob Creek, Booker’s, Basil Hayden’s and Baker’s. A group of ultra-premium bourbon

whiskies handcrafted in limited quantities from unique recipes, some dating back two centuries. They are

carefully matured for exceptional quality.

Booker Noe, grandson of the legendary Jim Beam, created The Small Batch Collection and in doing so is

credited with establishing the category of super-premium bourbons. Booker took great care in crafting his

bourbon, and the Booker’s Bourbon bottle even features a label written in Booker Noe’s own handwriting.

If you look closely, you will actually notice a small error. There is no mistake about the premium quality of

his collection, however.

Knob Creek 50% abv: An utter classic small batch bourbon from Jim Beam, first created by Booker Noe

and introduced in 1992. It was named after the creek which flows near where Abraham Lincoln grew up. Hand-

crafted in limited quantities, Knob Creek is aged nine years to fully draw out the natural sugars in its charred white

oak barrels. As a result, this exceptional, full-bodied bourbon strikes the senses with a maple sugar aroma, distinc-

tive sweetness and rich, woody, caramel flavour with a long, smooth finish. Made at 100 proof and created to re-

flect the flavour, strength, care and patience that defined pre-prohibition whiskey, Knob Creek is perfect straight

or cooled slightly with one or two ice cubes. Knob Creek is the number one selling super-premium bourbon in the

world. Nose: Quite spicy and sweet. Melted salty butter on granary toast, toasty oak and a touch of rye with cara-

mel sweetness. Taste: Peppy and full. Notes of candy floss and nut oil, a touch of spice and dark chocolate, a little

spice and charred oak. Finish: Long with a touch of dryness, nut oils and vanilla spice.

Knob Creek Rye 50% abv: Unveiled in the US in 2012, Knob Creek Rye has made its way to our fair

shores, bringing with it a flavour profile that strikes a wonderful balance between your classic, spicy rye whiskeys

and your sweeter, vanilla-fuelled high-rye-content bourbons. Nose: Rich caramel, bright ginger and lingering

menthol hints, with more herbaceous touches developing with the robust rye notes. A good core of oak spice, too.

Taste: Traditional rye spiciness, rich and mouth-coating, but not as overpowering as some other rye whiskey. In-

stead, there's more development of the vanilla, brown sugar and soft butter notes. Finish: Drying oak, white pep-

per and rye spice last on the finish.

Booker’s Noe Bourbon 7 year old 63.7% abv: The only bourbon bottled straight-from-the-

barrel, uncut and unfiltered, yielding an intense flavour and nose.

Basil Hayden’s 40% abv: Basil Hayden's Bourbon dates back to 1796, when master distiller Basil Hay-

den used a traditional corn base, but mixed in small grains with the mash. Aged 8 years and bottled at 80 proof. A

Kentucky straight bourbon with plenty of rye at its core - imparting a spicy, sweet character, well balanced with

herbal notes of peppermint and a touch of fruit.

Amercian Whisk(e)y: Maker’s Mark 45% abv:

Maker's Mark is a brand of small batch Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey distilled in

Loretto, made with a mashbill of red winter wheat, corn and malted barley. First released in

1959, it is presented in a trademark square bottle with a red wax seal. One of the rising

stars in the premium bourbon market, with a growing following in the UK due to its

distinctive looks and exceptional quality. Nose: Fruity and rich. There are lovely notes of spiced

honey and mixed peels, a little malmsey, hazelnut and a touch of cut fruit with toasty oak providing

a backbone. Taste: Rich and full. There are notes of rye and spice, barley malt, a little nut oil with butterscotch

and vanilla. Finish: Quite sweet with butterscotch and dry oak spice. Irish Whiskey Irish whiskey was once the most popular spirit in the world. Although Scotland sustains

over 100 distilleries, Ireland has only seven and only one of which was operating before

1975. Irish whiskey has seen a great resurgence in popularity since the late twentieth

century, and has been the fastest growing spirit in the world every year since 1990. Irish

whiskey was one of the earliest distilled drinks in Europe, arising around the 12th century.

It is believed that Irish monks brought the technique of distilling perfumes back to Ireland

from their travels to the Mediterranean countries around 1000 A.D. The Irish then modified

this technique to obtain a drinkable spirit. Whiskey was first recorded in Ireland in 1405. It

was later recorded in Scotland in 1494.

Most Irish pot still whiskey is distilled thrice, while most Scotch whisky is distilled twice. Peat is rarely

used in the malting process, so that Irish whiskey has a smoother finish as opposed to the smoky,

earthy overtones common to some Scotch whisky. A notable exception to these rules is Connemara

peated Irish malt (double distilled) whiskey from the Cooley Distillery in Riverstown, Cooley, County

Louth.

Connemara Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey 40% abv:

Inspired by Irelands ancient distilling traditions, Connemara’s smooth sweet malt taste and complex

peat flavours makes it a truly unique Irish whisky. Connemara is the most decorated Irish whiskey with

a huge collection of gold medals and has been honoured as the ‘World’s Best Irish Single Malt’.

Connemara allows you to unearth the peated pleasures of Ireland. Nose: Well smoked and

peated, heather freshness and floral notes with a honeyed sweetness and a little wood. Taste: Full

and smooth with notes of malt and peat, honeyed smoke and barley sweetness. Finish: Long and

pungent with honey and peat smoke.

Canadian Whisky Canadian whiskies are often referred to as Rye Whiskies, though rye need not be used. The

majority of Canadian whiskies are blended and distilled from a selection of grains, which

usually include a good proportion of rye alongside barley and corn. This style is very similar

to Scotch blended whisky apart from the use of rye. A Single malt whisky is also available.

Canadian Club Blended Whisky 40% abv:

Japanese Whisky Japan has a relatively short whisky making history when compared to Scotland, America or Ireland. It does,

however, offer almost 90 years of history since the foundation of the first single malt distillery at Yamazaki in 1923. Yamazaki’s founder, Shinjiro Torri sent one of his best students, Masetsaka Taketsuru, to Scotland after the end of the First World War and his mission was to gain as much information and experience about the Scottish whisky industry as possible. After almost three years in Scotland and working at numerous distilleries, Taketsuru returned along with his new Scottish wife, Jessie Cowan, to put his knowledge in to practice and build Yamazaki. Suntory, owners of the Yamazaki distillery went on to build a further distillery in 1973 called Hakushu, known as the 'forest distillery'. It is the highest and remotest distillery in Japan with a unique climate that is perfect for maturing whisky.In addition to Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries, Suntory also has a grain distillery (distillation in column stills with a mix of cereals other than barley, usually corn) required for the production of blended whiskies such as Hibiki, which we feature.

Japanese whisky is produced similarly to Scottish whisky and uses Scottish malt barley (but some is imported from Australia) and the same type of barrels, however they also use Japanese oak (called mizunara) as well. As the climate is hotter in Japan the whisky matures faster like in North America and shows more wood influence. The Whisky’s can be diverse due to many innovations in production. An interesting fact is that Japanese whisky companies do not share their stocks of whisky when producing a blend, unlike in Scotland or Ireland. Therefore, blends will only consist of whisky produced at a maximum of three distilleries. Japan is the world’s third largest producer of whisky behind Scotland and America. It’s popularity has grown to the wider international audience since Japanese whisky first won a major award in 2001. Following this, Japanese whiskies have won Best Single Malt and Best Blended Whisky in the world.

Yamazaki Distiller’s Reserve Single Malt Whisky 43% abv: £4.50

This no-age-statement single malt from the Yamazaki distillery is jam-packed with superb red berry notes, gained from the whisky being matured in Bordeaux wine casks and Sherry casks. It also features malt matured in Mizunara casks, adding subtle fragrant oak notes. Nose: Classic Yamazaki strawberries and dried fruits with floral notes coming from the Mizunara cask whisky. Fragrant sandalwood and maybe coconut. Taste: The dried berries re-main lively on the palate (it even develops some raspberry notes

along the way), but they're dialled back a bit to make room for light oak, white peach and a small amount of

spice. Finish: Vanilla lasts and lasts, with spicy but sweet cinnamon acting as a final flourish.

Yamazaki 10 year old single malt 40% abv: £14.95

A very rare 10 year old single malt from the Yamazaki distillery, aged in bourbon barrels. A lovely fruity dram, quite floral. Nose: Fruity and rich. Plenty of barley malt and caramel, cereal sweetness and winter spice. Vanilla cream and mixed peels with a hint of nuts. Taste: medium-body with notes of rich peels and winter

spice, aniseed and a herbal note. A bitter oak develops. Finish: Dry and of good length with acacia honey.

Yamazaki 12 year old single malt 43% abv: £8.95

Another top whisky from Yamazaki. Nose: Good body with plenty of nut oils and zest, a pleasant floral char-acter with a little tropical fruit and a rooty note. Taste: Smooth and soft with good sweetness and winter spice. A

lovely citrus note develops with more tropical fruit notes and a little rum. Finish: Medium with fruit and zest.

Yamazaki 18 year old Single Malt Whisky 43% abv: (Includes our engraved Glencairn whisky copita glass) Yet another multi-award winning rare whisky from Yamazaki. Nose: Quite thick and resinous, there is a pleasant oiliness with zesty citrus and peels and a hint of sherry. Plenty of oak and orchard fruits. Taste: Medium-body with green notes and an earthen note, plenty of wood resin and a floral character with zest and

sherried peels. Finish: Good length with fruit and zest.

The Hakushu Distillers Reserve Single Malt Whisky 43% abv: A no-age-statement expression from Suntory’s second distillery, that captures the smoky, herbaceous characteristics of their whiskies. Nose: The herbs are very up front with this one. Peppermint, pine and pleasant grassy notes. Cucumber and melon round out

the nose. Taste: All the notes on the nose swim effortlessly through the palate, the mint developing sweeter

notes as it goes on. Citrus zest also pops in to say hello. Finish: A waft of smoke appears during the long finish.

Hibiki 12 year old blended Whisky 43% abv: The starting point of the Hibiki range. A fantastic example of a Japanese style blended whisky, sweet and

perfumed. Along with grain from Chita and malt from Yamazaki they use some whisky matured in plum wine casks. Numerous pure single malt whiskies are aged in a variety of cask types, including mizunara, a very rare Japanese oak, and all are combined to create a full orchestra of flavours and aromas. Nose: Juicy marmalade with real chunks of orange, cooked apples dusted with

cinnamon, thick honey and plum wine. Taste: Crushed almonds, stewed fruits, clove-studded oranges. Sherried

malt and a subtle core of oak. Finish: Bright and flavoursome with crisp apple and citrus.

Hibiki 17 year old blended Whisky 43% abv: (Includes our engraved Glencairn whisky nosing glass)

A superb whisky from Suntory and a multiple award winner. It is also quite rare. Nose: Quite full. There

are notes of honey and wax, resin and oak. There are notes of gentle smoke and cacao, hints of cooked fruit and a nutty note. Taste: Sweet and rich. There are crisp notes of mixed peels, raisin and custard with a little

zest and plenty of oak. Finish: Long with notes of oak and cocoa and sherried peels.

Interesting Fact: Did you know Suntory produced this world famous liqueur?

Midori Melon Liqueur 20% abv: An amazing melon liqueur with an incredibly fresh flavour. This is made from

‘Yubari’ melons and is often drank over ice or with a lemonade mixer.

Midori Japanese Slipper: Equal measures of Midori, Bols Triple Sec and lemon juice served in a martini

glass.

Production of Whisky

The ingredients for making whisk(e)y are simple; grain, yeast and water and the production is more or less the same for all whiskies;

Malting: The process begins with moistening barley for it to germinate creating malt. The water is naturally

sourced and is one of the determining taste factors. (If the sourced water passed through peat moss for instance it has a peaty character). The barley is turned regularly to control temperature and germination. Previously, the barley was manually turned or tilled. This was a labour-intensive process occurring every 4 hours and 24 hours a day (this often resulted in a repetitive action injury that was termed ‘Monkey Shoulder’). Today this process is normally automated. After a week the barley is ready to be kilned.

Kiln: The malt grains were traditionally dried over an open peat fire imparting a smoky flavour (from the

phenols), nowadays hot air is mostly used for drying unless a smoky flavour is required. The barley is spread on the floor of the kiln and if fired with peat (in combination with coal) it will give the whiskey a smoky flavour as the smoke smell permeates deep into the malt grains.

Mashing: The dried grain is milled to create grist and then water is added in the mashing tun. The resulting

corn starch batter will be transformed over time into sugars. This resulting liquid is called wort. It is stirred regularly to separate the liquid from the solid particles called draff, which remain in the mashing tun processed into animal feed (a very eco-friendly process!)

Fermentation: The next important step in the process is the fermentation of the sugars. By adding yeast,

the sugars convert into alcohol, which releases carbon dioxide. The resulting liquid is called 'wash'. The alcohol percentage at this stage is not much higher than in beer (approx 7-8% abv). This all happens in a wash back. These washbacks are traditionally made of wood but have since been replaced in many distilleries by metal washbacks. These are easier to clean and more hygienic.

Distillation: The wash is heated to 78C (the boiling point of alcohol) in a copper distilling wash still, the size

and shape of the still are very important in determining the flavour of the whisky, due to the copper which acts as a catalyst that converts alcohols produced during fermentation into acids, aldehydes and esters plus removes some undesirable feints. Each distillery has its own unique boilers. The alcohol will evaporate before the water and will rise and enter a curved pipe (lyme arm) at which point the alcohol will be condensed into liquid. This product is referred to as low wines and contains about 17% alcohol. It then passes into a ‘spirit still’ to undergo a second distillation. Impurities are removed from the distillate at this point. The first distillate is the foreshot, and contains impurities and is collected for re-distillation with the next batch of low wines. The middle part called middle cut (heart of the spirit), contains ethyl alcohol and is suitable for consumption. An early cut yields a lighter, fragrant spirit and a later cut produces a richer spirit that is heavy and oily. Towards the end of the distillation the temperature is increased and the distilled alcohol weakens producing oily compounds called feints, which can both spoil and dilute the flavour. These are collected and re-distilled with other low wines. The quality of the distillate is monitored through the spirit safe, an arrangement glass bowls. The colourless liquid which remains is called spirit and contains about 60 to 70 percent alcohol.

The Production of Whisky continued

Maturation: The spirit is then stored in oak casks where it ages (for at least 3 years in Scotland but normally

much longer). The size and type of oak cask used for maturation is very important. It matures faster in smaller casks because there is a greater ratio of wood surface to whisky. American oak (Quercus Alba) has a tighter, harder grain than European oak (Quercus robur), therefore the former which is less porous has less interaction between the whisky and wood unlike the later. The American oak allows more character of the spirit to be retained whereas European Oak imparts more wood character. If the casks previously contained sherry, wine or bourbon then this will also impart a flavour characteristic to the whisky. The longer the maturation period the more character the casks will impart. Some casks are used again and more than twice. This ‘refill’ process means the cask has less influence on the flavour. When casks are scarce producers may scrape the inside of the barrel then burn/toast (char) them to expose the wood. This is called de-char/re-char. The treated casks however are not the same as new ones and will not impart the same flavour characteristics.

The location of the storage impacts considerable influence on the character of the whisky, Hotter temperatures result in it maturing quickly, which is why American bourbons are rarely aged more than 20 years. Storage near coastal areas may impart salty notes to the maturing whisky due to the damp salty air permeating the casks.

The part of the spirit that evaporates in the cask is called the Angel's Share. This can be a loss of 2% a year, so a 25 year old cask may lose 50% of it’s volume and explains why older whiskies are more expensive. Following the maturation process the spirit is then diluted with water, usually to 40% abv. When the spirit is not diluted, it’s called cask strength whisky, which is about 60% abv. If the spirit is from a single cask bottling then it’s referred to as a single cask whisky, but usually the spirit is mixed with others in order to achieve a balance. The age of the whisky is determined by the youngest spirit, a 10 year old may have much older whiskies.

Finishing: It is common nowadays for distilleries to transfer whisky into another cask when it has nearly

reached its maturity simply to impart additional flavours during the final stages of maturation. This ’finishing’ or ’double wood’ (or sometimes ’triple wood’) takes place in casks formerly containing sherry, Madeira, port or a spirit such as rum, cognac, calvados or premier Cru French wines. The maturation takes approximately 6 months to 2 years.

Chill- filtration: This process involves reducing the temperature of the pre-bottled whisky to zero causing

fatty esters to form, which are then filtered out. It removes just a little of the flavour. These esters if left to remain will turn some whiskies cloudy when ice is added. Something the producers felt consumers wouldn’t appreciate.

Charring Process: Once bourbon barrels are formed they are charred—the inside of the cask is set on fire

for a short period of time, which creates a black charred layer. This creates dramatic changes on the surface of the wood, such as wood sugar caramelising, which will leech into the maturing spirit. (Sherry barrels are only lightly toasted).

The Influence of Wood on Whisky (www.whiskyforeveryone.com) Many of the flavours and characteristics of whisky are picked up from the wooden casks that it spends its time maturing in (up to 60%). Historically any type of wood could be used to make casks but now, by law, they now must be constructed of oak. Oak is selected for its toughness and yet easy to work with, has tight grain that prevents leaking, is porous and allows oxygen in and out of the cask and it can be bent by heat without splitting.

Wood is full of naturally occurring oils called vanillins. It is these oils that are drawn out of the cask by the spirit and over the period of maturation they add to the whisky’s flavour profile. So if all whisky is matured in oak casks, then how can they all be different when tasted? The character of the distillery, the ingredients used, the size and shape of the stills and its location are all important but the major factor is the type of oak cask used for maturation. There are three main types of wood used by the whisky industry.

European oak (Quercus robur) This type of oak has traditionally been used to mature whisky in Scotland and Ireland for nearly two centuries. The first casks were made from English or Scottish oak but these species of tree were slow growing with twisted trucks and grain and this made the casks prone to leaking. Later Russian oak was imported as this gave more consistent wood structure due to the trees being fast growing with straight trunks.

In the 1860s, the importing of sherry from Spain to the UK started. The casks used to mature and transport the sherry were made from Spanish oak and had similar properties to Russian oak but were much cheaper. This oak is traditionally grown in the Galicia region of northern Spain and although the sherry industry has declined since the 1970s, Spanish oak is still commonly used and sought after. This is despite the price of a sherry cask costing nearly 10 times as much as a bourbon cask.

The other type of European oak commonly used in modern whisky maturation is French oak. This is traditionally made into casks for the wine industry and these are mostly used by distilleries to give a different ‘finish’ to their whiskies. Flavour key words - sherry, dried fruits - sultanas, raisins, candied peel, spices - cinnamon, nutmeg, wood, caramel, orange, Christmas cake.

American oak (Quercus alba) This has only been used in the whisky industry since the end of the Second World War. At that time, the Cooper's Union and lawyers formulated the law that stipulated that all American whiskey had to be matured in new wooden casks. This was done to boost the coopering industry that had collapsed during Prohibition in the 1920s and 30s. As a result, there was a massive increase in the number of casks available. The American bourbon whiskey industry slowly recovered from Prohibition and the Scots and Irish began using their casks for maturation. This was due to the good availability and price of bourbon casks compared to the more traditional sherry casks, whose numbers were declining and becoming more expensive.

American oak is seen as perfect for whisky cask construction as the trees are fast growing with tall straight trunks, giving good quality wood and high levels of vanillins. The size of cask produced (known as an ASB - American Standard Barrel) is also considered to mature whiskey at the optimum rate as there is the perfect ratio between the amount of liquid and the surface area of the inside of the cask. The result of this is that nearly 90% of all the world's whisky is now matured in American oak bourbon casks. Flavour key words - vanilla, honey, nuts - coconut, almonds, hazelnuts, butterscotch, fudge, spices - ginger.

Japanese oak (Quercus mongolica) Also known as mizunara oak, this type of wood is used in the Japanese whisky industry. Mizunara has been used since the 1930s and gives the whisky a unique set of flavours. The wood has extremely high levels of vanillins but is soft and very porous, making the casks made from mizunara oak very prone to leaking and easily damaged. As a result, the practice of maturing whisky was modified in order to reduce these factors. Now most Japanese whisky is matured in either bourbon or sherry casks and then transferred to mizunara casks to gain its flavoursome characteristics. Flavour key words - vanilla, honey, floral - blossom, fresh fruit - pears, apples, spice - nutmeg, cloves, wood.

Whisky Described by Flavour Profile

David Wishart author of ‘Whisky Classified : Choosing Single Malts by Flavour’ describes whiskies by

flavour profile. There are 12 flavour categories (Body, Sweetness, Smoky, Medicinal, Tobacco, Honey,

Spicy, Winey, Nutty, Malty, Fruity and Floral), scaled by intensity ratings of 0 to 4 (0: Not present,

1: Low hints, 2: Medium notes, 3: definite notes and 4: pronounced)

A. Body: It’s weight or fullness influenced by the size of the still and the type of cask (light, medium to

full bodied)

B. Sweetness: Sugars in the wash not converted during fermentation or by catalysis during distillation

and glucose extracted from new casks, during maturation (dry, through medium-sweet, to sweet)

C. Smoky: Where peat is used in kilning and where the water flows through peat bogs (bonfires, burnt

-heather, peaty, phenolic, pungent, kipper, mossy, earthy, fishing-nets, turfy)

D. Medicinal: Salty, iodine flavours usually associated with seashore maturation (brine, iodine,

methanol, salty, sea-air, seaweed, turpentine)

E. Tobacco: Feints introduced at distillation and during maturation, desirable in moderation (tea-

chests, libraries, old-books, leather, leather-polish, car-seats, saddles, garden-sheds, hessian, musty)

F. Honey: Released by catalysts of aldehydes during distillation or extracted from oak wood during

maturation, especially bourbon casks (beeswax, heather-honey, mead, butterscotch, caramel, fudge,

toffee, treacle, vanilla)

G. Spicy: Extracted from oak wood during maturation particularly where new wood is used (bay

leaves, cedar, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, oaky, pepper, pine, sandalwood, tannic, woody)

H. Winey: Flavours from what the casks contained before being filled with whisky, such as a special

preparation of the cask with sherry, port or madeira to add a special finish (Burgundy, Chardonnay,

Chenin Blanc, fino sherry, grapey, liqueurish, Madiera, oloroso, port, sherry)

I. Nutty: Mainly oak lactones extracted from casks during maturation, especially European oak, or

fatty acids formed by bacterial growth during fermentation (almonds, hazelnuts, oily, walnuts, buttery,

chocolate, creamy)

J. Malty: Characteristics of the malt and yeast not removed in the fermentation, usually showing in

immature whiskies (barley, biscuits, cereal, mealy, cooked-veg, malt-extract, husky, burnt-toffee, cake,

roasted-coffee, liquorice, toasted, baking, yeasty)

K. Fruity: Higher alcohols, aldehydes and esters formed at the fermentation, by catalysts during

distillation, and by reactions with oak wood during maturation (citric, estery, lemony, limey, oranges,

tart, melons, peaches, pear-drops, strawberries, sweet-shop, stewed apples. Christmas-pudding,

fruit-cake, dried-fruit, raisins, sultanas, bubble gum, solvent)

L. Floral: Esters and aldehydes formed during fermentation and by reactions with oak wood during

maturation (aromatic, fragrant, honey-suckle, perfumed violets, sugar-almonds, green-house, mint,

sherbet, cut-barley, grassy, leafy, sappy, botanical, hay-like, heathery, herbal, meadows)

Understanding Whisky Flavours and Aromas The following is a brief introduction of the chemical derivation of flavour by Charles MacLean author of

‘Malt Whisky: The Complete Guide’. For a good guide to whisky nosing see Charles Macleans ‘Nosing

Course’ in Whisky Magazine (www.whiskymag.com/nosing-course).

There are only three primary colours (yellow, blue and red) and four primary tastes (sweet, sour, salty

and bitter), yet there are 32 primary aromas from which we build our sensory universe. Even when you

think you are tasting with your palate it is in fact your olfactory cells that are doing most of the work.

Hold your nose when you next take a sip of whisky, and see how much flavour the whisky has. Up to

90% of flavour is due to the sense of smell. For further information we recommend you visit the Whisky

Aroma Academy (www.whisky-academy.com) and consider purchasing their Whisky Aroma Training

Kit. If interested, ask the bar staff to see our kit.

Aromas arising during production are as follows. See our Whisky Flavour Wheel as a quick guide.

Cereal: These aromas come from the malted barley, and are usually modified by the later stages of

production (fermentation and distillation). Found in all malt whiskies, especially immature samples. To

have too many cereal notes is not good.

Fruity (the scientific term is ‘estery’): The sweet, fragrant, fruity, solvent- like scents which

characterize Speyside malts in particular, arise during fermentation and distillation.

Floral (or ‘aldehydic’): Leafy, grassy or hay-like scents, sometimes like Parma violets or gorse

bushes, and often found in Lowland malts.

Peaty (also called phenolic): These scents are typical of the pungent Islay malts and range from

wood-smoke to tar, iodine to carbolic. Almost all phenols are imparted to the malt during kilning.

Feinty: This group is the most difficult to describe, yet feints give whisky its essential character. They

start coming in halfway through the spirit run, beginning as pleasant biscuity, toasted scents, then build

through tobacco-like and honeyed to sweaty (they increase in pungency and noxiousness). The wise

still-man stops collecting spirit at the honeyed stage, for the deterioration can be dramatic thereafter.

Feints are mellowed and transformed by maturation in good casks.

Sulphury (from organosulphur compounds): These arise during both distillation and maturation.

Copper plays a crucial role in removing such aromas, which are generally unpleasant. A little is fine,

but too much is detrimental. Maturation introduces the last two key aromatic groups:

Woody: The vanilla-related aromas in this group derive from American white oak. Some woody

aromas are directly related to age: malts can become woody when they have been in cask for too long.

Oak increases complexity, enhances fragrance and delicacy, creates astringency, lends colour and

develops roundness.

Winey (also called extractives): If the cask has previously been filled with wine (mainly sherry, but

sometimes port or others), the wood absorbs wine residues, which are extracted by the spirit and

become part of its flavour.

SOURCE: MATURATION

Oil

Chocolate (diacetyl)

Nut

Sherry

SOURCE: MALTED BARLEY

Mash

Cooked Veg.

Malt Extract

Husk

Yeast

SOURCE: FERMENTATION

& DISTILLATION

Citrus

Green Fruit (aldehydes)

Mint (acetyls)

Fresh Mint

Cooked Fruit

Dried Fruit

Solvent

SOURCE: MATURATION

New Wood

Old Wood

Vanilla

Toast

Fragrant

Leaves

Green-house

Hay

SOURCE: FERMENTATION

& MATURATION

Vegetation

Coal

Rubber

Sand

SOURCE: SPIRIT RUN

Plastic

Sweat

Tobacco

Leather

Honey

SOURCE: KILNING

Medicinal

Smoke

Kippers

Moss

Whisky Flavour Wheel

FRUITY

(ESTERY)

Abstract Terms Used to Describe Scotch Whisky Used to describe an overall impression, rather than an aroma. The following list was produced by

Pentland’s Scotch Whisky Research and gives you a better understanding of the terms used to

describe whiskies in this menu.

Body: Essentially related to the mouth-feel of the product, and indicative of the amount of product

character. (cloying, viscous, prickly, cooling, warming).

Clean: Free from off-notes from any source. Used primarily as an indicator of acceptance of new dis-

tillates.

Coarse: Implies a product of indifferent quality, often associated with a high intensity of certain flavour

characteristics imparting pungency.

Dry: Overall impression of astringency at an acceptable level.

Flat: Dull and flavourless effect. Often related to low intensity or staleness.

Fresh: The opposite of flat; bottled whisky in good condition.

Green: Usually denotes a preponderance of aldehydic notes.

Hard: Where metallic, flinty and nasal astringency effects dominate the product.

Heavy: Possessing a high total intensity of detectable aroma and flavour characteristics. May or may

not be desirable

Light: Possessing an adequate intensity of aroma and flavour characteristics in good balance, but

tending to be delicate.

Mellow: Associated with good maturation, whereby alcoholic pungency is suppressed and the effect

of hotness reduced to a pleasing warmth.

Neutral: Implying a plain, silent spirit, thereby tending to present only the aroma of ethyl alcohol.

Rich: Implies a high total intensity of character in relation to an appropriate standard for the product.

This term should be used with caution, however, since it may also indicate a preponderance of sweet-

associated aromatics (like sherry or Christmas cake)

Robust: A whisky with a high intensity of aroma and flavour.

Round: Implying a good balance and intensity of aroma and flavour, all of them appropriate to the

product.

Sharp: Imparting nose-prickle or mouth-prickle

Soft: Implying suppression of alcoholic and aromatic pungency

Thin: Lacking in aroma and flavour that should be a characteristic of the product. ‘Diluted’ and ‘watery’

might come to mind (but not ‘bland’)

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