A magazine re-design is nothing new. During the 20 years of Malt Advocate, we have re-designed it several times. This one, however, is our biggest–and the one we are most proud of.

That’s all I am going to say for now. I just wanted to let our loyal subscribers know why they will be getting their issue a little later than usual. 

When it is released, I will let you know right here. Stay tuned…

Our new issue of Malt Advocate hits the streets today. It’s a special one: our 20th Anniversary issue. If you are not a subscriber, be sure to pick up a copy. It’s our largest issue yet–and our most personal. You’ll find out how Malt Advocate (and WhiskyFest) was created, and there’s an interview with my wife Amy (pictured) and me. She has been my business partner since the beginning. Without her, there would be no Malt Advocate or Whiskyfest.

This will probably be my last post for about a week. I’m taking the next couple days off for vacation. Then, the first half of next week is filled with editorial meetings, doctor visits (routine stuff), etc.

We have some very exciting things planned for the next 20 years. We’re already working on them. Stay tuned…

I’m going to share with you a sampling of these reviews before they are published in Malt Advocate. (It’s my way of saying “thank you” for taking time out of your busy schedule to check in here.) I’ll post up at least one new review every day for the entire month (including weekends).

Stay tuned…

If you have an anecdote or memory you’d like to share in a special “Dear John” 20th anniversary letters section of Malt Advocate— about the magazine, WhiskyFest, or anything about the last 20 years in whisky — we’d love to hear from you. To avoid a self-congratulatory thread here (which is not my intention), please send your story to Melanie Gochnauer (melanie@maltadvocate.com) with “20 years” on the subject line by April 1st. We’ll print some in the magazine and on our website.

Thanks. We’re looking forward to the next 20 years!

Beginning with our upcoming Summer issue (out June 1st), each writer will have his own assigned review region similar to the way the reviews are done, for example, in Wine Spectator. This past week, we looked at each writers’ expertise and then carved up the world of whisky.

Here’s the breakdown of the reviewers and the regions they will be covering. (Scotland has so many distilleries, we split it up into three review regions!)

Scotland
Islay & all the other Islands: John Hansell
Speyside: Dave Broom
Highlands, Lowlands, Campbeltown : Gavin Smith

Scottish blends and grain whiskies: Dominic Roskrow

Ireland
Dominic Roskrow

United States
Traditional bourbon & Tennessee whiskey (KY, TN): John Hansell
Craft distillers: Lew Bryson

Canada
Lew Bryson

Japan
Dave Broom

Rest of world
Dominic Roskrow

Select USA-exclusive bottlings
John Hansell

Beer
Lew Bryson, John Hansell

This could possibly triple the number of whiskies reviewed in Malt Advocate (and posted up here on WDJK). It is a bold move that will benefit both the whisky producer and you, the whisky enthusiast.

Retailers, you can now put them on their shelves below the the whisky to help guide consumers on a whisky they will like. (And it just might help you sell more whisky too!)

It just went live yesterday, so if you see any glitches, please let us know.

The Malt Advocate Whisky Awards exist to recognize excellence in the world of whisky. Now in its seventeenth year, these awards are the oldest and longest-running annual whisky awards program.

The awards are always announced in the first issue of Malt Advocate each year. Subscribers will get this issue around March 1st. But, I’ll be announcing the awards here first, beginning February 16th. They will then automatically be fed to my Twitter (@JohnHansell) and Malt Advocate’s Facebook accounts.

The advantage of publishing the awards on this blog is two-fold:

1. The awards can be announced more quickly on social media than in print media and will help to reach a larger audience.
2. Announcing the awards in a blog platform allows for further discussion and interaction between whisky enthusiasts, press, and trade.

Unlike other publications who seem to have endless awards, we only have 12. Each day, I’ll post up the award winner, along with the write-up which will eventually appear in Malt Advocate.

The dates the category winners will be announced are:

February 16th:  Best Buy Whisk(e)y of the Year

February 17th:  Artisan Whisky of the Year

February 18th:  American Whiskey of the Year

February 19th:  Canadian Whisky of the Year

February 20th:  Irish Whiskey of the Year

February 21st:  Scotch Whisky Blend of the Year

February 22nd:  Scotch Whisky Single Malt of the Year

February 23rd: World Whisky of the Year

February 24th: Pioneer of the Year

February 25th: Industry Leader of the Year

February 26th: Distillery of the Year

February 27th: Lifetime Achievement Award

February 28th: Top Ten New Whiskies (Not officially an award, but more of a recognition.)

The only requirement for eligibility is that products must be sold in the U.S. in the 2010 calendar year. Last year’s postings were fun and we had a lot of discussion. I’m looking forward to the same this year. 

What types of whiskies do you drink?

Single malts        92.5%

Bourbon              63%

Irish                       48.5%

Blended Scotch  46%

Canadian             16.6%

What other alcoholic beverages do you enjoy?

Beer                      83%

Wine                     85%

Vodka                   42%

Rum                       39%

Tequila                 38%

Gin                         34%

Cognac                 33%

Other liqueurs   29%

How about you? Does this describe you? It describes me very well, except for the beer and the vodka. I drink more beer than anything else (which probably explains my gradually expanding waistline), and don’t drink as much vodka as I do rum and tequila.

The next time we conduct our survey, we will have to include categories for Japanese whiskies, Indian whisky, craft distillers, and maybe a few others.

96 Redbreast, 12 year old, 40%, $43
Very elegant, complex, and stylish. Honeyed and silky in texture, with toffee, toasted marshmallow, nougat, maple syrup, banana bread, and a hint of toasted coconut. Bright fruit and golden raisin blend in nicely with the layers of sweetness. Impeccable balance and very approachable. Classic Irish whiskey!

95 Compass Box Flaming Heart (10th Anniversary bottling), 48.9%, $105
A marriage of three different single malts, aged in American and French oak. This whisky shows the advantage of marrying whiskies from more than one distillery (when properly done). Vibrant, with a complex array of fruit (orchard fruit, sultana), sweetness (light toffee, marzipan, honeyed malt), spice (creamy vanilla, mocha, warming pepper), smoke (tar, smoked olive, coal), and lesser notes of toasted almond and beach pebbles. More smoke and tar on the palate than the nose, yet always in balance. Well played!

95 Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection, 1995 Vintage, “American Oak Chips Seasoned,” 45%, $47/375ml
Surprisingly light and fresh for a 15 year old whiskey. Crisply spiced, with cinnamon, evergreen, vanilla, anise, and teaberry. Hints of dried fruit, kissed with light honey and a wisp of smoke. Balanced and clean throughout, and very drinkable. An excellent whiskey!

95 Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve, 40%, $70
Perhaps the finest Canadian whisky I have ever tasted. Creamy and seamless from beginning to end. Gently sweet, with orange creamsicle, marzipan, sultana, praline, maple syrup, and a hint of coconut macaroon. Forty Creek whiskies have always been very good, but none have ever had the right stuff to reach classic status. Until now, that is. An outstanding, very distinctive whisky!

94 Highland Park, 1970 vintage, 48%, £2,250
This limited edition bottling consists of a marriage of both European and American oak. Still lively for its age, and beautifully balanced. Bountiful golden fruit (sultana, pineapple upside down cake, tangerine, overripe nectarine) balanced by soothing, creamy vanilla. A peppering of dried spice, chamomile tea, toasted oak, cigar box, and subtle smoke round out the palate. Soft and seductive. (Not available in the U.S.)

94 Knob Creek Single Barrel, 9 year old, 60%, $40
This new single barrel expression of Knob Creek tastes very similar to the original “small batch” Knob Creek (when brought down to the same alcohol level). If anything, it’s slightly drier, more elegant, not as heavy on the palate, and more sophisticated — but I am reaching here. The similarity is a good thing, because I really enjoy the original expression. Keeping in mind that no two barrels are exactly alike, your decision to purchase the single barrel might just come down to whether you want to pay a little more for a higher strength version, and whether knowing that it might taste a little different than the standard small batch bottling excites you. This is a stylish, big, broad-shouldered bourbon with a thick, sweet foundation (nutty toffee, pot still rum, maple syrup) peppered with spice (cinnamon, but also vanilla and evergreen) and dried fruit. Dry, warming, resinous finish. (Incidentally, I would rate the small batch within a point or two, and the tasting notes would be very similar.)

93 Parker’s Heritage Collection (2010 release), 10 year old, 63.9%, $80
Soft, sweet, and very smooth. Richly textured layers of caramel, toffee, vanilla fudge, nougat, maple syrup, and rhum agricole. Blackberry, date nut bread, cinnamon, subtle cocoa, and nutmeg add complexity. Clean, polished, and perilously drinkable. A delicious wheated bourbon! (Not quite the complexity of the 2009 William Larue Weller (a benchmark wheated bourbon which I rated a 96), but getting close.

93 High West Straight Rye Whiskey, 12 year old, 46%, $50/375ml
A bottling from only five barrels of 95% rye whiskey produced at the former Seagram’s distillery in Indiana. It’s the American whiskey equivalent of drinking Ardbeg Supernova. Powerful and invigorating are words that come to mind. Crisp mint, warming cinnamon, dried citrus, cocoa, roasted nuts, and subtle botanicals are soothed by caramel, molasses, and honeyed orchard fruit. Brisk, bracing, spicy finish. The notes are clean, and the whiskey’s not just a one-trick “rye” pony. The sweetness balances the rye spice quite nicely. If you just can’t get enough rye in your whiskey, then this one’s for you. (Available only at the High West Distillery in Park City, Utah.)

93 Caribou Crossing, Single Barrel, 40%, $50
Those of you who think Canadian whiskies are thin and bland should give this one a try. No, it’s not a new concept, like Forty Creek. It’s still very much a “traditional” Canadian. But when compared to most Canadian whiskies, it’s richer, creamier, and velvety smooth. The flavors are straightforward — primarily vanilla, with some crème brûlée, toasted marshmallow, tangerine, peaches and cream, and gentle rye spice — but they are clean and well-balanced. A delicious, lighter-style whisky.

92 Duncan Taylor “NC2” (distilled at Aberlour), 16 year old, 46%, $80
This whisky packs a lot of clean, complex, and well-balanced flavors. It features a creamy, layered, malty-sweet foundation (vanilla, caramel, toffee) chock full of bright fruit (golden raisin, honeyed orchard fruit, currant), rounded out by firm, dried spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, mint) that dances on the palate. Long, warming, spicy finish. Nicely done!

It doesn’t have to be the worst tasting whisky you ever had. It could be a trend that was started that you didn’t like, a whisky that pushed prices to absurd levels, or something else.

For example: Loch Dhu. It wasn’t the worst whisky I ever tasted (although I must say that it was not my cup of tea, given that tasted like someone dumped some bourbon and dark rum in it), but I think it was a complete waste of good whisky from the Mannochmore distillery. I’m really glad this didn’t turn into a trend. And you can still by this whisky at specialty retailers  and at auction for an absurd amount of money.

What whisky disappointed you? And why? (And let’s keep this gentlemanly, okay?)

Naturally, we’re going to take a look at all the great whiskies that were on the market during this time, and there were many. Some were benchmarks: they defined a new category, were classics for their style, etc.

Naturally, I have my own list of what I think some of the “benchmark” whiskies were over the past 20 years, but I would like to know your thoughts. (And I’m not going to bias you by sharing my list right now.)

What do you think was a benchmark whisky during the past two decades? And why? (This is not just limited to scotch, but rather includes all whisky categories.) Let’s get a discussion going.

As most of you know, many whiskies are not imported to the US (because of the 750 ml bottle requirements, burdensome labeling requirements, small bottling runs, and other issues). Some of these whiskies are very good, and I sometimes have trouble sourcing them. Dave and Dominic live in the UK and have easier access to them. Their focus will be on reviewing these whiskies, while I continue concentrating on those whiskies that come to the US.

The majority of Malt Advocate magazine’s circulation is in the US, so why include reviews of whiskies that aren’t? I can think of three strong reasons, outlined below:

First, this blog (WDJK) is definitely international in scope. Similar to past whisky reviews which I’ve done, we will be posting many new reviews up here first, before they are published in Malt Advocate.

Second, the world is  a much smaller place. People travel internationally. Plus, thanks to the internet, websites, blogs, Facebook, Twitter, etc., people are becoming more aware of special releases, regardless of where they live.

Finally, now that we’ve joined M. Shanken Communications, I expect our circulation to increase rapidly–and internationally.

The reviews will begin with our next issue, Volume 19.3, due out around September 1st. We still have not determined the number of reviews or the specific whiskies. That will be sorted out in the near future.

(That’s Marvin Shanken and me in the picture, earlier today, after I signed what seemed like a million papers. The synergisms have already begun. I’m giving him a bottle of The Glenlivet Cellar Collection 1959 vintage, and I went home with a handful of pre-Castro Cuban cigars, also from 1959. Very nice!)

—————–

Malt Advocate, Inc. joins M. Shanken Communications, Inc.

 

 John Hansell stays on as Publisher & Editor; Amy Westlake remains WhiskyFest Director

New York, June 15, 2010:  Malt Advocate, Inc. today announced that it is now a part of M. Shanken Communications, Inc.   Malt Advocate, Inc. includes Malt Advocate magazine, WhiskyFest New York, WhiskyFest Chicago, and WhiskyFest San Francisco.

M. Shanken Communications, Inc.  publishes a variety of consumer and trade publications.  They include Wine Spectator, Cigar Aficionado, Food Arts, Market Watch, and Impact.  In addition, the company hosts a number of events across the United States including the New York and New World Wine Experiences, Wine Spectator’s Grand Tours and Cigar Aficionado’s Big Smokes. 

John Hansell will remain Malt Advocate magazine’s Publisher & Editor, and Amy Westlake will continue as Director of WhiskyFest events.  Malt Advocate, Inc. operations will remain at their current office in Emmaus, PA.

“Amy and I are very proud of our efforts promoting the whisky industry, both with Malt Advocate, which will be celebrating its 20^thAnniversary in 2011, and the 25 WhiskyFest events we have hosted over the past 12 years,” notes John Hansell.

“Our activities dovetail perfectly with those of M. Shanken Communications, Inc. from a publication and events standpoint.  There are definite synergies that will be achieved between the two companies.  The M. Shanken Group will take Malt Advocate magazine and our WhiskyFest events to levels that we could not have achieved on our own.  We are very excited about our future together.”

“John and Amy are pioneers in this industry and highly regarded,” commented Marvin R. Shanken, CEO of M. Shanken Communications, Inc.   “We are proud to have them on board with us.  Their creations—Malt Advocate and WhiskyFest—are benchmarks.”

For additional information, contact Amy Westlake (610. 967.1083 or Amy@maltadvocate.com).

Thinking Small

How many distilleries do you think are making whiskey in the U.S.? If you’re guessing about a dozen or so, you would be correct—if you only counted the well-established bourbon distilleries, located primarily in Kentucky.

Actually, the last time I checked, there are close to 50 distilleries making whiskey here. The vast majority of them didn’t even exist a decade ago.

Yes, there is a whisky renaissance going on right now—not just here in the U.S., but around the globe. Call it what you want—craft distilling, microdistilling, artisan distilling—it all means the same thing: relatively small distilleries that are beginning to release hand-crafted, young (almost entirely less than 10 years old), creative whiskeys.

This new craft distilling movement reminds me so much of the craft brewing movement over the past few decades. At one time, we had only a handful of large breweries, making very similar beers (mostly lightly-flavored pilsners). The smaller craft brewers took the styles and traditions from other brewing nations and put their own spin on them. They made (and still are making) beers that transcended styles, limited only by the imagination of the brewer.

The same thing is happening right now in craft distilling. While it’s true that some distillers, like Anchor, are taking a very traditional approach to the whiskeys they make, many are experimenting with new distillation techniques, different types of grain, and a vast array of barrels for aging. The cool thing is that most of these whiskeys are just coming to market—and they will continue to do so for the years and decades to come.

Sure, there have been (and will continue to be) inferior products put on the market, just as there were twenty years ago with craft brewing. Eventually, the craft distilling movement will mature. The bad apples will be weeded out, and the highest quality whiskeys will continue to thrive and grow—some eventually competing with the established bourbon distilleries—similar to the way Boston Beer, Sierra Nevada, and other brewers are doing now within the beer industry.

I think we have done a decent job over the years writing about this burgeoning craft distilling movement in Malt Advocate, but it’s not enough. So, beginning with this issue, we have established two new sections.

First, we now have a craft distilling column that will feature different writers in each issue. Our inaugural installment is written by Dave Pickerell, former master distiller at Maker’s Mark, who is now consulting to the craft distilling industry. It’s a great overview, and discusses topics like terroir (usually not considered in traditional bourbon distilleries, because they are all relatively close to each other).

The second enhancement to Malt Advocate is a new listing of all the craft distillers making whiskey, which will appear in every issue. Now you can keep track of who they are and where they are. This is important because, unlike the big distillers, this new breed of craft distillers are located across the U.S. If your travels take you near one, you might want to stop in and take a tour.

Sometimes, to think big, you have to think small, and that’s exactly what we’re doing. The craft distilling movement is very exciting, we’re embracing it, and we’re giving you a front row seat to the show.

Have a look:

Are you addicted to whisky?

Okay, maybe “addicted” might be too strong. But I don’t think “obsession” is.

Over the holidays, I asked my blog readers on www.whatdoesjohnknow.com what their New Year’s resolutions were. Here are a few of many; note that they share a common theme:

“My resolution is to regain my sanity and not spend so much on whisky…”

 “Measure my drams more carefully to control portion size.”

“I spent too much on whisky this year. So much so, that my wife gave me some sideways glances. Not good.”

“My resolution will be to stop buying impulsively.”

“More willpower and less buying”

Control portion size? Regain your sanity? More willpower? Your wife is giving you sideways glances? What’s going on here?  (And why do I feel like those exact words came out of my mouth somewhere along the way?)

Here’s what I think this all boils down to. I think it’s a huge compliment to whisky. Whisky (and whiskey) is the finest, most complex, most individualistic, most diverse spirit in the world. Once someone truly discovers it, it’s hard to resist its magical allure.

If anyone understands, I do. One day, many years ago, a good friend turned me on to scotch, with help from a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label. The next day I read an article in Business Week magazine about single malt scotch. I immediately went to my local retailer and bought every bottle they had.  All three of them.

For years to follow, I wanted to try every whisky I could get my hands on. My life revolved around trips to Scotland, whisky bars, whisky retailers…and reading everything about whisky I could.

Just look at me now: obsession to the max! I publish a whisky magazine, host whisky festivals, conduct whisky tastings and consult to the whisky industry. I am embarrassed to say how many bottles of whisky I have. (Let’s just say it takes up an entire room in my house. A large room.)

Addiction? No. Obsession? Definitely. Worth it? Absolutely!

Hey, did you hear about the new Ardbeg whisky coming out? I hear that the peat smoke levels are through the roof! I have to get me a bottle of that…

See, when you comment on WDJK, you never know where your quotes will show up. Thank you for the inspiration!