This little beauty is the latest crème de la crème from Johnnie Walker and it’s called…John Walker. You may not have known before but Johnnie’s real name is actually John.
The John Walker represents the top notch of the Blue Label bottlings. The John Walker is created from a small number of fine whiskies, chosen from over seven million casks. Only nine distilleries (six malt and three grain whiskies) made it into The John Walker, some of which hailed from remaining casks from distilleries that have already closed, such as Glen Albyn and Cambus.
The first bottle, bearing the signature of Master Blender Jim Beveridge, will be auctioned off, with bids starting from $3,000 and proceeds going to The Smile Train charity, which is dedicated to offering free surgery to poor children from developing countries suffering from cleft lips and palates.
According to the press release, the taste will reveal notes of fresh citrus slowly replaced by mature fruits on the nose. On the palate, you will be able to recognize the classic Walker Speyside whiskies – Mortlach and Dailuaine – with hints of vanilla oak sweetness, finally capped off by a smooth and mellow finish in rich smokiness.
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This is the first ever guest post here at Whiskygrotto.com. Sarah wrote me a while ago and asked if she could contribute with a guestpost. Of course! I said as long as it’s about Scotch Whisky or Whiskey. Here it is:
The history of this whiskey-based cocktail is so extensive that it traces back further than the martini itself. Dating back to the nineteenth century, the drink was originally called a “whiskey cocktail” until the martini and manhattan of the late 19th century forced purists to order an “old fashioned” whiskey cocktail, thereby securing the name for the centuries to come.
The first documented instance of the word cocktail as referencing the current “Old-Fashioned” dates to May, 13 1806 in which the Balance and Columbia Repository defined the drink as the concoction of whiskey, bitters, water, and sugar. When the martini and manhattan became revitalized during the 1970sand 80s, this previous whiskey cocktail developed a new taste, resulting in the old-fashioned as we know it to be today. The austerity which defined it before as holding simple rye with minuscule touches of water, bitters, and sugar was revolutionized to include an orange slice, maraschino cherry, and a diluting dose of soda water. The recent popularity the drink has had among trendy bars in New York stands as a testament to the whiskey cocktail’s staying power and ability to transcend through generations.
Most cocktail aficionados maintain that the old-fashioned is one of the original cocktails, in the true sense of the world. Most modern cocktails do not hold a candle to the drink that is the old-fashioned. While the drink remains popular in bars across the country, many newcomers who think they have a handle on what they consider to be a cocktail are still amazed at the “bitterness” which the drink gives off. However, there are still a few bars which allow the drink to return to its true roots (its integrity), by appealing to a very specific cocktail connoisseur. Many “purists” refuse the addition of soda water to an old-fashion and argue that this is not the proper way to make the drink.
The practice of adding fruit to the mixture likely began during the Prohibition in an effort to hide the bitter taste of the drink itself. However, there are many other theories to explain why the many fruits are now added to the drink, including replacing the fruit with bitters in areas where only citrus fruit grow (Florida and California). Within the whiskey world, true purists will resort back to the original inception of the drinking, letting go of the “new” practice of fruit and soda water, instead opting for the bitters, water, and sugar in the way their ancestors drank it.
This post was contributed by Sarah Russel, who writes about the top rated colleges. She welcomes your feedback at SarahRussel1234 at gmail.com
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I am glad to report that The Macallan has taken a step into the future of communication with their latest scotch whisky tasting. One of my favorite idea and design blogs – The NotCot reports on The Macallan’s latest whisky tasting and how they used Twitter to get the mouth water pouring.
It’s a great Idea even though I do think it’s a little bit early as the number of whisky fans on Twitter is probably limited. From a PR perspective though it’s great – look at me, I just had to write about it.
Head over to the NotCot site and read more.
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It turns out the British director and Madonna’s husband Guy Ritchie is one of most obsessed whisky fans of us all if not the most obsessed. At least when you count cash spent.
Thesun.co.uk reports that Guy has been “splashing out around £2million on The Punch Bowl pub, in London’s posh Mayfair. His aim is to find the perfect drop — and sell the most expensive bottle of whisky ever.”
“Ritchie is a massive whisky fan and wants to set up his own brand. Since opening The Punch Bowl, he has tried some classics. He loves a 33-year-old malt – but reckons he can do better. He wants his to be the ultimate, exclusive whisky brand,” said a source.
Here’s the full story
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Following up the 2007 Hedonism that won the World Whiskies Award for World’s Best Grain Whisky, Compass Box has announce the release of the 2008 bottling.
The stuff that floats inside the Hedonism is choosen from different ages and from different distilleries to achieve a balance of flavour characteristics: depth and complexity from the 20 to 30 year-old whiskies, and sweetness, fruit and structure from the 13 to 20 year-old whiskies.
According to Compass Box, on average, the 2008 Hedonism is over 20 years-old
Head over to their website and pick up one for your Father
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