The Heart Cut’s Post

Just released, 100% distilled in house. A peated single malt, a traditional 'pure' pot still and a post-modern pot still. 1. Oaty McOatFace To mark the tragic tenth anniversary of the ghasty Irish Whiskey GI, Blackwater presents a totally modern and non-compliant pot still whisky. In other words if ‘The Midleton Method’ wasn’t imposed on the entire industry and the department didn’t let a French multinational design a Technical File around two of its products, what might Irish pot still whisky have tasted like? Well here’s something to get you chops around. Double turfed, double oated, double distilled and double casked. Knocks spots of the other stuff.  2 Clashmore 1824 Prior to the establishment of Blackwater Distillery, Clashmore was the last distillery in Waterford and it closed by 1840s. The distillery chimney still straddles the river which runs through the heart of the village of Clashmore. The resulting whisky is something of an ode to the oat, matured exclusively in sherry wood (as was typical at the time), this expression is a real peak into the kind of Irish whisky that has been lost to time. 3 PMD 2: Return of the Dragon The dragon is back and this time he’s at cask strength. What’s more, this single malt is the first age statement whisky from Blackwater. It’s made from 100% Irish barley, grown and malted on the same farm. A real Irish whisky origin story, featuring a dragon, with a heart of fire and a belly full of schmoky stewed apples.

American Single Malt gets official Standard of Identity from TTB. In a final rule, available now on the Federal Register’s Public Inspection page and scheduled to be published on December 18, 2024, we are amending the distilled spirits standards of identity regulations to include “American single malt whisky” as a type of whisky that is produced in the United States and meets certain other criteria. The adopted criteria for American single malt whisky specify that the product be a type of whisky that is mashed, distilled, and aged in the United States; is distilled entirely at one U.S. distillery; is distilled to a proof of 160 or less; is distilled from a fermented mash of 100 percent malted barley; is stored in oak barrels (used, uncharred new, or charred new) with a maximum capacity of 700 liters; and is bottled at not less than 80° proof. In addition, the criteria allow for the use of caramel coloring as long as its use is disclosed on the product label. The regulation will also allow the use of the term “Straight” for an American single malt whisky that is aged for at least two years. This final rule is effective on January 19, 2025. We have also established a 5-year transition period so that a label with the designation “American single malt whisky” or “straight American single malt whisky” may be used on distilled spirits bottled before January 19, 2030, if the distilled spirits conform to the applicable standards set forth in 27 CFR part 5 in effect prior to January 19, 2025.

530 years in the making: The History of Whisky Let’s time travel today, eh? 🛞 1494 - The First Record: Documented evidence of whisky appears in Scotland's Exchequer Rolls, marking the distillation of the medicinal "aqua vitae" by Friar John Cor. 🛞 1608 - Oldest License: Bushmills, in Northern Ireland, secures its license, becoming the world's oldest licensed distillery. 🛞 1823 - Legal Distilling: The Excise Act legalises distilling in the UK for a fee, sparking a boom in legal and innovative distilling practices. 🛞 1831 - Distillation Innovation: Aeneas Coffey invents the Coffey still, revolutionising whisky production by enabling continuous distillation. 🛞 1920s - Prohibition's Unlikely Hero: During U.S. Prohibition (boo!), Scottish and Canadian whiskies gain popularity in underground bars, expanding their international market. 🛞 1963 - Single Malt Scotches Go Global: Glenfiddich starts to globally market single malts (traditionally used only in blends), and reshapes consumer tastes in the process. 🛞 1980s - Market Downturn and Revival: The whisky industry faces a downturn, leading to distillery closures, but setting the stage for a resurgence in craft and premium whisky. 🛞 2000s - The Age of Cask Experimentation: Distilleries begin experimenting with cask finishes, using barrels from wine, sherry, rum, and even beer to enhance complexity and flavour. 🛞 2010s - The Dawn of Japanese Whisky: Japanese whiskies, like Yamazaki, gain international acclaim, winning numerous global awards and expanding the whisky market. 🛞 Today - High Tech Meets High Tradition: From production and blockchain to track provenance, to Diageo's SmokeDNAi and exploration of exactly what occurs while whisky ages in its cask, it’s the most exciting time to be alive for whisky lovers. You can’t deny it, whisky’s history is as rich and layered as the drink itself. Sláinte! 🥃 P.S. Got anything interesting to add? 📸 Friar John Cor

So here are a few interesting whisky facts for Friday...🤔🥃 Geographical Protection: Scotch whisky can only be produced in Scotland to be legally called "Scotch." It must adhere to strict production guidelines, including aging for a minimum of three years in oak casks. Five Whisky Regions: Scotland has five recognised whisky-producing regions: Speyside, Highlands, Islay, Lowlands, and Campbeltown. Each region is known for distinctive flavour profiles, like the fruity and sweet whiskies from Speyside or the smoky, peaty whiskies from Islay. Peat Influence: Peat is a natural fuel source in Scotland and is often used in the malting process. When peat is burned, its smoke infuses the barley with a distinct earthy, smoky flavour, which is prominent in whiskies from Islay, such as Laphroaig and Ardbeg. Single Malt vs. Blended: Single malt Scotch whisky is made from malted barley at a single distillery, whereas blended Scotch whisky is a mix of single malts from various distilleries and often includes grain whisky. Angel’s Share: During the aging process, about 2% of the whisky evaporates from the cask each year. This loss is referred to as the "Angel's Share. Oldest Distillery: The oldest licensed Scotch whisky distillery is Glenturret, founded in 1763, though distillation in Scotland has been practiced much earlier, with evidence dating back to the late 15th century. World Records: The most expensive bottle of Scotch whisky ever sold was a 1926 Macallan, which fetched over £1.5 million at auction in 2019! No Additives: Scotch whisky is made from water, barley, and yeast, with no artificial additives allowed. Any flavours or colours come solely from the cask aging process. These facts highlight Scotch whisky's rich history, diversity in flavour, and the traditions that have made it world-renowned. #WhiskyFacts #ScotchWhisky #WhiskyRegions #PeatInfluence Contact our whisky experts today to learn more: https://ow.ly/rvcG50TrtAG

Chinese Whisky; We're somewhat late to the party but The Chuan Pure Malt Whisky Emeishan (叠川) is quite possibly the first Single Malt whisky coming out from Sichuan, China! We've had the good fortune of trying this in somewhat recent times, give the review a read! 1. The Chuan Pure Malt Whisky Emeishan (叠川) https://lnkd.in/gKMCAeuP Nose: minty nutty, good touch of grass and creamy spice Palate: deep thin nutty finish The first expression, young and new, we think it presents a very normal take on a young whisky, almost akin to bourbon but with a richer texture. We can expect interesting things from The Chuan Distillery.

New-make spirit. 🥃 It’s whisky, but not as you know it… What is new-make spirit? New-make spirit is the precursor to Scotch whisky. It’s the freshly distilled liquid that has not yet gone into casks to be matured into whisky. What does it look like? It’s completely colourless. Is it strong? 💪 Yes. It’s collected at about 65-70% ABV but is diluted slightly before going into the cask. Interestingly, only about 10% of the original wash from the fermentation process is collected as new-make spirit. Can you drink it? Yes, many distilleries include a new-make tasting as part of their distillery tour or at tasting events. Some of the newer distilleries, including The Borders Distillery, Lindores Abbey Distillery, Stirling Distillery, and Bladnoch Distillery sell their new make spirit as a product. What does it taste like? 👅 It often has a bold, robust and complex flavour, but the quality of flavour depends on many factors including: ·      Type of yeast ·      Fermentation time  ·      The amount of reflux ·      Cooling method ·      Copper contact ·      Design of the stills ·      Peat (if the barley was dried by a peat fire, the spirit will have a smoky flavour) Is it worth trying? Yes! Trying new-make spirit will give you a good impression of the ‘DNA’ of a distillery, the character profile of the eventual whisky and an understanding of the nuances of flavour imparted from the oak casks. If nothing else, it’s a great way to help to support new, up-and-coming distilleries. 💵 Best serve? You can drink it as you would whisky, alternatively, it's fabulous in a cocktail - particularly a Bloody Mary! 🍹 Let me know in the comments if you’ve tried new-make spirit or would give it a go. 💫  I write Scotch whisky web content, blogs, articles and educational material. Please CONNECT with me on LinkedIn or via my website if you’re interested in working with me. Or FOLLOW me for more whisky-related insights. 💫 #whisky #scotchwhisky #scotch

Monday whisky knowledge - what is single malt whisky? Often considered ‘superior’ among experts, single malt whisky has been made in Scotland since the 18th century. Blended whisky is created from single malt whiskies and grain whiskies taken from different distilleries. A single malt whisky can only be produced from a single distillery. But it can also be made using a single variety of malted grain, typically malted barley. However, single malt whisky need not be the product of one single whisky cask. They are almost always a blend of whiskies taken from several casks. So as long as these casks are all from the same distillery, the final ‘blend’ is considered a single malt. #SingleMaltWhisky #WhiskyKnowledge #WhiskyEducation #MaltMonday For more information about single malt whisky, contact us today: https://ow.ly/HQ4l50SwApg

We proudly announce that Laphroaig Distillery Elements 2.0 Cask Strength is the Whisky Advocate 2024 Whisky of the Year! When discussing a whisky’s flavor these days, often the talk is about the cask: which exotic oak species, or which far-flung wine, spirits, or beer barrel has been used in its creation. The Whisky of the Year, an Islay single malt, decided to stand that conversation on its head. This whisky focuses on where the magic truly begins—fermentation—dialing up the fermenting period to nearly five full days, twice its normal length. The flavors that come from this experiment are truly incredible. ⁠ This second release in the Elements series focuses on where the magic truly begins—fermentation—dialing up the fermenting period to nearly five full days, twice its normal length. Longer fermentation brings out more fruit notes in whisky, which sounds deliciously appealing, but it was a tricky balancing act for the distilling team. But Elements 2.0 pulls it off with consummate skill. The signature Laphroaig smoky, maritime, and medicinal notes are all present, but there’s mainly a lasting impression of gentle balance, with fruit flavors of baked peach, orange, green apple, pear, and apricot, as well as crème brûlée sweetness, all wrapped in maritime salinity and peat smoke. This cask-strength whisky offers harmony and power, carrying its nearly 60% ABV impressively. True to the mission, Elements 2.0 has no cask finishing, but is aged entirely in first-fill bourbon barrels. #whiskyadvocate #whiskylovers #whiskyoftheyear #laphroaig #scotchwhisky #scotchlovers #laphroaigelements #caskstrength #beamsuntory #suntoryglobalspirits #brescomebarton

A question that we get asked all too often...What even is English Whisky? After we’ve persuaded everyone that there is nothing fundamentally wrong with the English producing Whisky (and that we’re actually pretty good at it), folk then want to know that we know what we’re talking about. In terms of a legal definition of what we’re making, we can start from the EC Regulation on Spirit Drinks, first published in 2008, which has since been amended and adopted by the UK post-Brexit. Stay with me, it gets better. Whisky or Whiskey is a spirit drink which has been distilled from a mash made from malted cereals (eg barley) with or without other cereals (eg wheat) which has been fermented by yeast. It needs to be distilled, at least once, to an ABV of less than 94.8% so that the spirit retains an aroma and taste derived from the ingredients (otherwise it tends to become more neutral like a vodka). Then it needs to be matured in wooden casks not exceeding 700 litres in capacity (this is to ensure that the ratio between the spirit and the surface area of the wood isn’t too small). It must be bottled at no less than 40% ABV and can only be reduced to this strength by adding water. Again, this is so it retains the aroma and taste from the original ingredients. We can add caramel to adjust for colour but cannot add alcohol from any other source or anything else eg flavouring or sweeteners. And…we do it all in England! #caskonwnership #excellence #opportunity #sustainability #veteranowned #craftdistilling #actuallymadein #englishwhisky #singlemaltwhisky #whiskycask BizGroup66 The English Whisky Guild Verallia UK Ramskull Founders Reserve English Single Malt Whisky Yorkshire Dales Distillery Ltd