Thursday, February 28, 2013

The art of Japanese master blenders: Hibiki.jp


Hibiki which means « harmony », is the creation of Suntory, the pioneer of the Japanese whisky through its emblematic distillery Yamazaki in 1923.

Renowned as one of the best blended whisky in the world, the Hibiki 12 years old is a rich and smooth elixir partly matured in ex plum liqueur cask (Umeshu casks).
This is a high quality blend of various single malts style and grain whisky from the two Suntory distilleries, Hakushu (1970s) and Yamazaki.

Numerous types of pure single malt whiskies aged in various types of casks such as Mizunara, a very rare Japanese oak. Other particularity, this distillate is filtered through bamboo coal.
Including its brothers, the 17 and 30 years old, Hibiki series are multi award winning whiskies, creating a real earthquake on the whisky planet for more than 10 years.

Concerning the packaging, Hibiki benefit from a special detail care, from the cork to the bottle shape that is related to the 24 seasons of the old Japanese lunar calendar through the 24 facets of the bottle.

Tasting notes
Colour: Golden amber
Nose: Fresh and light. Fruity: Plum, raspberry, pineapple notes. Vanilla, honey, maple syrup. White pepper notes.
Palate: Well-balanced. Fresh and mellow. Hints of oak. Barley sweetness. Fruity: apple (Pinnacle), exotic fruits, and lemon.
Finish: Medium long. Sweetness. Slight spiced notes. Hint of sourness.
ABV: 43%

Remarkable! The Hibiki 12 y.o is a seductive, fresh, fruity, unctuous blended whisky makes a great introduction to the world of whiskies, especially to the Japanese whisky world.

Kampai 乾杯                                    

Sunday, February 24, 2013

First truly organic Single Malt Whisky!







Benromach is the smallest distillery of Speyside runs by Gordon & MacPhail company. It produces the first single malt whisky to be certified as organic in the world. Benromach is  produced with 100% organic Scottish barley and yeast, pure local spring water and untreated, unused American oak casks. As the Benromach brand ambassador told me, they are not allowed to use second hand casks as usually use for the whisky ageing (mostly bourbon or sherry casks) to be classified as organic.
This Benromach organic is bottled at 43% ABV and has no age statement. Interesting...

Let’s have a dram…

Tasting notes


Colour: Golden Brown
Nose: Characteristics of American oak barrel. So, oak, vanilla, coconut. Spicy and a bit smoky. Fresh fruits such as melon and apple.
Palate: Smooth and light. Slightly peated with butterscotch and toffee taste. Dried fruits. Lightly spicy and sweet malted barley notes.
Finish: Medium long. Smooth and fresh. Slightly oaky. Vanilla and dried fruits notes





This whisky is at a reasonable price, it’s well worth a try. To be honest, it’s an elegant and smooth whisky but I don’t find something different which can guide me to say that it’s an organic whisky.

A whisky to taste during spring/summer time matched with Pata negra ham and melon. Waiting for the melon season!

Slainte!


Sunday, February 10, 2013

The Belgian Owl, the real attraction of the Whisky Live Belgium 2013



 
The Belgian Owl is the first single malt whisky from Belgium. This whisky is only made from local ingredients, so 100% Belgian.
The founder, Etienne Bouillon is a master distiller from Liège who decided to reach Islay Island in Scotland to refine his whisky making knowledge through the Whisky Academy at the Bruichladdich distillery, managed by the iconic Jim MacEwan.
Back to Belgium, he started to run his own distillery, the Heaven Hill Distillery in Grâce Hollogne, and begun to produce a single malt spirit, first named Pure and finally changed to The Belgian Owl in reference to a story well narrated on the website: http://www.belgianwhisky.com/en/societe-2&legende_39.html
He is making his whisky with barley coming from Hesbaye region and the malting, mashing and fermentation processes take part in an old converted farm close to Liege. Then, The mash is then matured in American oak barrels.

We had the opportunity to meet him and discuss a bit during this 10th edition of the Whisky Live Belgium.
The result of this whisky lover hard work is amazing.
His objective of is to act as less as possible and let the nature run the show. To give us the best taste of nature. As this friendly master distiller says « Nature can be different at any time, and our product goes with it ». That is his philosophy.

Distinction! The Belgian Owl was designated the « European single cask whisky of the year » by Jim Murray in 2011 on the 44 months edition.
What a great honour!

Victim of its success, the whisky was initially available as an 70cL bottle, then 50 and now 20cL. Like says « in order to be able to share it to more people ». The Belgian Owl is mainly sold in Belgium but also in France and Holland. He recently bought two pot stills from the ex-Caperdonich Distillery in order to reinforce the capacity produced and to satisfy more palates in the future. The distillery is actually close for visits but it will open again on May 2013…
 
Whisky lovers, the Heaven Hill Distillery creates for us The 200 Private Angels. If you don’t want to be flat broke, you have the opportunity to possess your own The Belgian Owl edition limited cask. Indeed, Etienne Bouillon propose you to fill in your numbered High quality American oak cask with rare Belgian Single Malt Spirit, created under the watchful eye and nose by himself. He will suggest you to follow each year the ageing of your personal whisky and you will judge at what time it should be unbolted.

Group some friends and have a great whisky experience through this magic ageing adventure. Don’t wait to have one of the 200 casks available but then wait patiently the first dram of your unique Belgian Single Malt Whisky. 
For further inormations, send an email at: 200@belgianwhisky.com

Take part in this whisky experience!


Santé! Proost!

Sunday, February 3, 2013

Water of life is in Live from The Whisky Live Belgium.


This event took place this weekend, February 1, 2 & 3rd , in Spa (Southeast of Belgium), which bring together large groups and small distilleries, including both professionals and enlightened connoisseurs.

Have a look...



I will share with you these next weeks, several appreciations about the fabulous whiskies I tasted there for us through my whisky tasting notes…
Before that…




                                  “Drink responsibly, drink well, drink life”

Slàinte

Improbable Tequila and Mezcal tasting...in Brussels…


Despite of Belgians are worldwide known for producing the best beers in the world and they are also fine spirits connoisseurs.

Before to reach Spa for the Whisky Live Belgium (Whisky festival) in the southwest of the country, I stayed several days in the European capital and I don’t miss the opportunity to go for a Belgian beer in the famous Delirium café in the Delirium village. Amazing ambiance and what a beer choice!! As a big fan, I was like a child, having a look on the mezcal/tequila menu... 

In the same narrow street, I discovered a spirit bar, Floris Tequila, suggesting a remarkable choice of the emblematic Mexican spirits, no less than 50 Mezcals and 450 Tequilas…Unique in Europe! A part of the Mexican culture in the middle of Europe.
Let’s travel together!

I think it’s necessary to clarify briefly what these surprising alcoholic beverages are.

All Tequila is Mezcal, but not all Mezcal is Tequila. In other word, “el” Tequila (masculine), is for Mezcals what is Cognac for Brandies.

In fact, Mezcals, the generic appellation, are made by distilling the fermented juice of agave plants in Mexico. The agave is a spiky-leafed member of the lily family (it is not a cactus) and is related to the century plant. Both Tequila and Mezcal are prepared for distillation in similar ways.

By Mexican law the agave spirit called Tequila can be made only from one particular type of agave, the blue agave (Agave Tequiliana Weber, Agave azul), and can be produced only in specifically geographic areas, primarily the state of Jalisco in west-central Mexico. Tequila is considered as a more industrial making process than the others Mezcals.

Mezcal is made from the fermented juice of other species of agave. Since 1995, It is established a controlled designation of origin which allows 7 mexican estate to produce a distillate of agave called "mezcal": Oaxaca, Guerrero, Durango, San Luis de Potosi, Zacatecas, Tamaulipas y Guanajuato. 30 varieties of agave are approved for Mezcal production, but the most popular varieties used are the Espadin agave (Agave angustifolia Haw), Tobala... Each variety has a different flavour.

It is produced throughout most of Mexico (eight states). Some Mezcal distilleries are very primitive and very small. The best-known Mezcales come from the southern state of Oaxaca where you can find the official capital of Mezcals, Mazatlán, a small village where I went in January 2012.

The agave, also know as “maguey”, is cultivated on plantations for eight to 10 years, depending on the type of agave. When the plant reaches maturity it starts to grow a flower stalk. “El campesino” (the agave farmer) cuts off the stalk just as it is starting to grow. This redirects the plant growth into the central stalk, swelling it into a large bulbous shape that contains a sweet juicy pulp. When the swelling is completed, “El campesino” cuts the plant from its roots and removes the long sword-shaped leaves, using a razor-sharp pike-like tool called a “coa”.
It results what we call “piña” ("pineapple", so-called because the cross-thatched denuded bulb resembles a giant green and white pineapple). From the “piñas” which are cut into quarters, we extract the sweet juice, called “aguamiel” (honey water). In fact, these “piñas” are slowly baked in steam ovens or autoclaves for Tequila or in underground ovens heated with wood charcoal (which bring the characteristic smoky note) for Mezcals. What’s more, Mezcal generally requires a single distillation whereas Tequila at least two…

That’s it for the brief introduction of what Mezcals and Tequilas are made of. If you want more informations about the next fascinating steps of the making process, fermentation distillation and aging, have a look on: http://fortequilalovers.com/tequila-mezcal-sotol/

Now, let’s taste them…

Pierde Almas Tobala

Pierde Almas means "lost souls". As most of Mezcal connoisseur say, Mezcal must be consumed “joven”(young), not aged, this is the pure expression of the agave plants. It’s a high quality (one of my favourites), small batch mezcal produced in Oaxaca state. Created in the most environmental respect way possible, the plantations are pesticide and fertilizer free, and the “Maguey” is fermented naturally without the use of chemicals. Every handmade batch is a work of art and each batch differs from the others. Pierde Almas follows local organic practices to create this mezcal.
This release of Pierde Almas is handcrafted from the Tobala Agave, a wild variety than can only be harvested and processed during the spring.

Tasting notes
Colour: Transparent
Nose: Lemon zest and fresh green herbs
Palate: Sweet. Floral notes. Clay, lemon zest and fresh green herbs
Finish: Powerful. Smoky taste.
ABV: 47.8%
Impressive back to Mexico… 
I drunk it for the first time in Non Solo Polanco, Cuidad de Mexico. I suggest to drink with unsmoked Salmon or traditionally with an orange slice.

El Patrón Tequila reposado  
Patron tequilas take part of the few Tequilas truly produced in the traditional handmade fashion. Patron Reposado is a richly flavored tequila. It is aged in oak barrels for over two months. This Tequila is blended to incorporate the fresh clean taste of Patron Silver with a hint of the oak flavour found in Patron Anejo.

Tasting notes
Colour: Clear, light amber tint.
Nose: Wet oak wood. Citrus notes
Palate: Rich, smooth and sweet. Well balanced. Spiced with sweet oak notes. Citrus fruits and honey taste.
Finish: Soft finish. Lightly floral and vanilla.
ABV 40%
Have a drink of it with crêpes (pancakes), an uncommon but really good combination…


 Corralejo Tequila Anejo

Corralejo Anejo Tequila is a 100% Agave, aged in new American oak barrels charred on the inside to lend a touch of smoke to the flavours inside. This Tequila is bottled in red, signifying "prosperity" in Mexico.
Winner of double gold medal at the World Spirit Competition 2006

Tasting notes
Colour: Pale golden tint
Nose: Oak, smoke, hints of cocoa, vanilla, peppercorn
Palate: Caramel, cooked pear, white pepper, cardamom spice,
Finish: Full bodied. Smoky notes. Sugar caramelised. Canned pear. White pepper, cardamom spices.
ABV: 38%
To match with an aged cheese such as Roquefort…Wonderful!

                             As they say in Mexico, La ultima y nos vamos! 
                                           Que viva Mexico! Salud!