Tag Archive for: whisky

, , ,

BOWMORE® MASTERS’ SELECTION UNITES THE WORLDS OF WHISKY MAKING AND AUTOMOTIVE DESIGN

BOWMORE® MASTERS’ SELECTION UNITES THE WORLDS OF WHISKY MAKING AND AUTOMOTIVE DESIGN

  • New limited-edition single malt whisky combines the mastery of Aston Martin Chief Creative Officer and Bowmore’s Master Whisky Blender
  • Each Master’s unique understanding of proportionality has created a whisky with exquisite depth and balance. 
  • For the first time, Bowmore has adopted the Golden Ratio principle to create a new whisky
  • Bowmore Masters’ Selection is available from November 2021

8 November 2021, Islay, UK: A shared commitment to heritage, craftsmanship and innovation unites the worlds of whisky making and automotive design with the creation of Bowmore® Masters’ Selection; the first single malt whisky to be made by Bowmore® Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky in collaboration with Aston Martin.


Imagined and defined by two Masters; Bowmore Master Whisky Blender Ron Welsh and Aston Martin Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer Marek Reichman, Bowmore Masters’ Selection bridges two distinct worlds in a powerful, yet inspiring way. At its heart is a mutual trust and respect for one other’s worlds and a passion to discover and learn from each other.  Each Master imparts their own creativity and character, but also makes an indelible mark, like leaving their own unique fingerprint, on every single creation

Marek Reichman, has often spoken about the concept of the ‘Golden Ratio’ – the mathematical ratio found in nature that creates aesthetically pleasing compositions -, which sits at the heart of the design of every Aston Martin. Absolute beauty can be created when you achieve a perfect relationship between each proportion of the car.

Reichman explains: “Proportionality defines every precise detail of designing an Aston Martin. We are constantly striving to achieve the Golden Ratio; the optimal of proportions.  And it is this force which guides the creation of absolute beauty. To achieve this, we must combine our skill, passion and experience. Coming together with Ron just brings a whole new perspective on this and is hugely inspiring and enlightening. This whisky perfectly and harmoniously brings us together to create a beautiful, yet powerful equilibrium.”

For Bowmore, proportions define character and shape flavour combinations; from cask selection and age to blending. Ron Welsh, Master Blender, Bowmore, explains, “For the first time with this whisky, we have adopted the Golden Ratio to inspire each of the elements bringing their own unique flavours and selecting the optimal casks to forge the desired character, taking inspiration from Marek and his team.  What seems totally contrasting is, in fact, perfectly balanced and proportionate. Working with Marek has given me a new lens from which to explore whisky making.  This whisky serves as a celebration of our unified knowledge and experience; our shared passions, values and ideas.”

Taking inspiration from an engineered approach, this whisky incorporates the divine proportion of 61.8% formed from a base of 21 year old Bowmore matured in first fill Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso sherry casks. The remaining parts are made up of exact ratios of each other, in line with the Golden Ratio theory, and include exceptionally aged Bowmore matured for over 35 years.

For this single malt, a powerful and complex yet sweet warming, the creators seems, on the face, to have created absolute contrast but in reality, they have captured perfect balance and proportion. With a clear nod to Aston Martin in the very creation of this Bowmore whisky, it exudes a sophistication and complexity which is truly considered yet promises a thrilling taste experience.

Powerful yet elegant; from sweet to spice; sherry to coffee; honey to pepper – the perfect proportions to achieve absolute depth and balance.

Bowmore Masters’ Selection is available in key global markets including UK, Germany, Canada, USA and China at an RSP of US$300 (ex VAT/duty) from November onwards.

https://www.drinksmart.com/reducing-drunk-driving-or-drink-driving

/by
The Macallan Harmony Collection chef Jordi Roca of three Michelin star restaurant El Celler de Can Roca
, , , ,

The Macallan Harmony Collection Rich Cacao

The Macallan Harmony Collection Rich Cacao

Inspired by our deep-rooted connection to nature for nearly 200 years, The Macallan Harmony Collection is an exploration into the world of sustainable packaging. It fuses innovative techniques with materials from the natural world at the end of their life to see them reborn with a renewed purpose.

The Macallan Harmony Collection

The Macallan Harmony Collection

An exceptionally rich single malt whisky characterised by its deep, dark chocolate profile.

The Harmony Collection Rich Cacao is now out of stock but can be found in specialist whisky retailers globally.

AN EXPLORATION OF CHOCOLATE

The Macallan Harmony Collection

Continuing our long-standing partnership with the https://www.themacallan.com/, The Harmony Collection Rich Cacao is a collaboration with Jordi Roca and Casa Cacao to bring the worlds of chocolate and whisky to life.

The Harmony Collection Rich Cacao is the first release in a series exploring the world of sustainable packaging. It brings together innovative techniques with materials from the natural world at the end of their life, to see them reborn with a renewed purpose.

CASA CACAO

In 2020, the Roca brothers opened Casa Cacao, a hotel and chocolate factory in central Girona, Spain, the same town as their three Michelin star restaurant El Celler de Can Roca. Led by pastry chef Jordi Roca, Casa Cacao comprises 15 hotel bedrooms, a chocolate workshop, chocolate shop and chocolate factory.

The Macallan Whisky Maker Polly Logan travelled to Girona to visit Casa Cacao, and she immersed herself in the world of chocolate, exploring their chocolate-making process and learning about the distinctive flavour profiles.

DISCOVER THE COLLECTION

Working in collaboration with Jordi Roca, acknowledged as one of the best and most creative pastry chefs in the world, and with exceptional chocolatier, Damian Allsop, I went on a journey of discovery, learning of the craftsmanship, passion and creativity which goes into making chocolate.

 Polly Logan The Macallan Whisky Maker

A collaboration with renowned pastry chef Jordi Roca of three Michelin star restaurant El Celler de Can Roca, this release brings the worlds of chocolate and whisky to life. To create the first limited edition whisky in a new annual release series, The Macallan Whisky Maker Polly Logan embarked on a unique journey to Girona, Spain, where she immersed herself in the world of chocolate, exploring the chocolate-making process and uncovering the distinctive flavour profiles at Casa Cacao.

Polly worked with Jordi Roca, owner of the famed chocolate boutique and hotel, Casa Cacao and the youngest of the acclaimed Roca brothers. As part of the exploration, she also spent time with master chocolatier of Casa Cacao, Damien Allsop.

SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION

In homage to its chocolate influence, The Macallan Harmony Collection Rich Cacao is presented in a 100% recyclable gift box, made using discarded husks from cacao pods.
A by-product in the chocolate-making process, these husks would have been sent to landfill or destroyed but have now been reborn with a renewed purpose.

BRINGING TOGETHER CHOCOLATE AND WHISKY

Through this unique experience, Polly took inspiration from the duo’s passion, knowledge and creativity to create The Macallan Harmony Collection Rich Cacao. She explored The Macallan’s maturing casks to seek out whisky with rare indulgent chocolate notes that would harmoniously pair with fine chocolates for a rich and unique tasting experience.

Both take time and exceptional attention to detail, with even the slightest changes to the process encouraging different aromas and flavours to emerge.

 Polly Logan The Macallan Whisky Maker

THE EXPERIENCE

  • COLOUR

    Toasted cacao beans

  • AROMA

    Chocolate fondant, honey, oak, zesty lime and ginger

  • PALATE

    Dark chocolate, honey, dates, vanilla and cinnamon.

  • FINISH

    Long with rich chocolate.

  • ABV

    44%

For this expression, I sought out a specific chocolate note in The Macallan’s traditional sherry seasoned European oak casks and combined this with a vanilla note imparted by sherry seasoned American oak casks to sweeten the slightly bitter chocolate note I had found. This exquisite single malt offers a delightful whisky and chocolate pairing experience and the chance to elevate the enjoyment of The Macallan to a new dimension.

 Polly Logan The Macallan Whisky Maker

/by
, , , ,

YAMAZAKI 55-YEAR-OLD JAPANESE WHISKY

FROM YAMAZAKI,

The birthplace of Japanese Whisky.

Introducing Single Malt Whisky Yamazaki 55 Years Old. The oldest single malt whisky in the history of the House of Suntory. Bottled in 2020.

CRAFTED BY TIME.

In its much anticipated first release of the Yamazaki 55, the House of  Suntory pays tribute to the passage of time. It was in Showa 38 (1963)  that Kotobukiya was renamed Suntory after Keizo Saji succeeded his father, founder Shinjiro Torii as the House’s Second Generation  Master Blender. Keizo was charged to bring his father’s dream to life,  creating not only the quality liquid gold but a quintessentially Japanese experience and lifestyle that rooted Suntory Whisky as the people’s choice.

Today, the House of Suntory is not only regarded as one of the most awarded distillers but as a House that has consistently introduced  Japanese Whisky as a cultural experience to the world.

Keizo Saji and Shinjiro Torii

TOUCHED BY THE HAND OF SHINJIRO TORII,  YAMAZAKI 55 REACHES OUT ACROSS TIME.

A spiritual blend highlighting the Mizunara cask whisky distilled in 1960 under the supervision of founder Shinjiro Torii and the White Oak cask whisky distilled in 1964. Each matured, amber drop reveals  a complex and mystical Yamazaki-ness the world has yet to discover.

Yamazaki 55 is the House of Suntory’s tribute to the passage of time.

THE HOUSE OF SUNTORY’S ART OF AGING

In the world of whisky, we are often led to believe that age is the defining criteria of quality. That the more aged the whisky, the more precious it is. The House of Suntory has consistently challenged this convention because like anything else, the truth is not so simple. Fifth Generation Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo demonstrated this belief with the launch of Yamazaki Distiller’s  Reserve in 2014 that changed perception of no age statements,  highlighting the young bloomers – the fruity and exuberant malt  whiskies as “ young talents ”, receiving worldly acclaim.

The House of Suntory has always believed that like people, each  malt whisky has its own narrative. Each whisky celebrating its own  peak regardless of age.

There are both young and late bloomers.
With the Yamazaki 55, Fukuyo faced an ironic challenge confronting the complexity of working with rare old whiskies. When he acknowledged imperfections in the casks of 1964, the challenge was  to enhance the potential of these late bloomers, to unveil a Yamazaki-ness not known before.

Fukuyo worked closely at hand with Shingo Torii, Third Generation  Master Blender, to find the right creative alchemy and master the signature art of blending to properly reveal the particular depth,  complexity and wisdom that is Yamazaki 55. What Fukuyo respected throughout this process was a combination of the passage of time and what the Japanese refer to as Wabisabi – the imperfections that make up perfection.

‘‘ Very old Scotch Whiskies gave me this impression of them being perfect Greek sculptures with  beautiful toned beauty. Instantly impressive as a piece of art. But the Yamazaki 55 is more like an old Buddhist statue. Calm and mysterious.  It takes time to take in its inner beauty with the smell of Japanese incense and stripped old wood,  like the Toshodaiji Temple in Nara. ’’

Shinji Fukuyo and Shingo Torii

TASTING NOTES

COLOR
Deep amber distinctive of Mizunara casks.

NOSE
A robust aroma redolent of sandal wood.  A sweet, mature bouquet like well-ripened fruit.

PALATE
A soft, smooth first sip that blossoms in the mouth with flavor.
A mixture of sweet and slightly bitter, followed by a woody note
from the Mizunara cask.

FINISH
Slightly bitter, a fragrance like scented wood and a hint of smokiness.
A sweet, rich, lingering finish.

/by