Editorial No 8 VA

EDITORIAL No 8 : « STATISTICS & A POLL » (August,2014)-V.A. :

 ENGLISH VERSION !

(slightly different from the original)

(Pour la version originale en français, voir après celle-ci, merci)

-For the French version, please see after this one...

Latest Updating: 27/08/2014

For this kind of « holiday Â» Editorial, if I may say (because it has been delayed a bit), I wanted to do things differently & share for once my whisky tasting statistics. You will find them sumed up in 2 tables and then some comments about each table.

Following the statistics, you will find some lines about future articles on distilleries, blenders or independent bottlers & tasting notes I will soon post on the web site, hopefully before next Whisky Live Paris (end of September) for some. I also have a few ideas to conduct some tastings in Paris, but it is a bit too soon to say more now. As the website’s birthday approaches (I’ll celebrate that at the beginning of October), I will conclude this editorial by some informal poll where I will ask you a few questions about your wishes, your comments about the site, regarding its content & presentation, and how you wish to see it evolve.

Above, a view of bottles from the 10 most tasted distilleries (from left to right, the most tasted brand, The BALVENIE, to the least, GLENMORANGIE). You will find the complete table of the 36 most tasted distilleries below, in table No 2. These statistics about Scottish single-malts are covering the 15 last years & they are about official bottlings such as The BALVENIE ones (99 % of the releases) as well as mix offers such as CAOL ILA & LAPHROAIG (2 brands that are often available in indie bottlings as well as in official ones), but here in this picture they are all official bottlings. As I didn’t have one on disposal, for once, the picture doesn’t show a BRUICHLADDICH brand bottling, tasted a lot of times, but a PORT CHARLOTTE one, that is, in fact, produced by BRUICHLADDICH distillery as well at the moment (as the PORT CHARLOTTE facilities do not exist yet). Picture: Â© Grégoire Sarafian.

MAP:

1/ My TASTING STATISTICS

2/ SOON TO COME: What is coming on in next numbers (tasting notes, articles)

3/ QUESTIONS for this website’s visitors (An informal poll)

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1/ MY PERSONAL TASTING STATISTICS:

In order to simplify things & not to drown the reader under an avalanche of numbers, I decided to classify my tasting statistics in two tables only, as simple & short as possible, in which I sorted them by country & type of whisky (single-malt, blended-whisky, blended-malt, single-grain, Bourbon, etc…) for the first table, and then, for the second, sorted by distillery name, considering it is about Scottish single-malts only. Then I added a few other World distilleries tasting statistics & some comments after each table.

Or course there is always a possibility I mistake here and there about the exact number of tastings for each, as it is a count based on numerous years of tasting & the fact I only started to measure these since a few years. Also, the reason why there are more tastings about distillery X or Y depends as much on which I prefer as the ones I have been able to try or had exceptional opportunities to try more than I thought I could (during whisky shows, private tastings, etc…) but it is also a matter of distilleries status, some of them being closed or their production not easily available, or both.

 TABLE 1:

NUMBER OF TASTINGS SORTED BY COUNTRY & WHISKY CATEGORY:

Some comments about these statistics, but also about some others that couldn’t fit on the table due to necessary limitations:

It is no surprise why Scotland comes first here (as it stands out as the most emblematic whisky country –for me as well as for the majority- as well as for the wide range of distilleries it offers), but on second position comes…Japan. Yes, though I probably did taste them only around 2004 (I started tasting Scottish whisky around 1999), but this is the other most represented country in this table. It has something to do with curiosity, then with their remarkable qualities I could attest after each tasting, but also with the opportunities we had in France to try these whiskies mainly due, at first, to their presence in Whisky Live show in Paris held by La Maison du Whisky through Whisky Magazine (as the French Edition who organizes the show is owned by La Maison du Whisky). Then comes Ireland, on third position. With a good distribution of their whiskeys in France, it helped a lot to discover them.

I decided not to precise if the most tasted expressions were coming from official bottlings or independent ones. It would have been too long (as there are so many only for Scotland-and on the contrary this is not a current tradition in the U.S.A., for instance-I di dit only in the second table, inside Scotland only), but one has to note that in the near future we will see some other countries such as Ireland develop new distilleries as well as independent botters, this is already changing there. Other remote countries are also doing well, with some spectacular recent entries such as Taïwan with its distillery named KAVALAN, while India has increased his sales & influence with AMRUT distillery (joined now by PAUL JOHN distillery), and I even not mentioned their awards these last years (well, you can add even mine for year 2013). Australia & New Zealand are also ones to watch and, for some brands, deserve it plainly.

To come back to Scotland, one will notice on the table the high proportion of blended-whiskies & blended-malts tasted, for it is one of my main interests in whisky & contrarily to many, I don’t overlook them and recon their rule in maintaining in life many malt distilleries. I also wanted to point out that I could taste a bit more single-grains than say 10 years ago because of more offers today (& more demand, that explains why) & because they can be really interesting after a few decades of maturation. At a lower degree, it is a bit the same with « new makes Â», « new spirits Â» or call it « white dogs Â» in the U.S.A. These « pre-whiskies Â» are a bit more available than before, as many distilleries have seen how they can be useful to explain the process of making whisky, or, of course, for the younger ones, to help keep some cash flow while distillate is maturing more than 3 years before it has the right to be sold as whisky (this rule of course doesn’t count for american whiskeys, that can be legally bottled earlier).

TABLE 2:

NUMBER OF TASTINGS PER DISTILLERY:

(Scotland only, and the first 36 only)

Some brief comments about these statistics, but also about some others that couldn’t fit on the table due to necessary limitations:

About the reason why there are more tastings for a distillery than for another one, let’s say that it is partly due to my own tastes and partly due to tasting opportunities during events such as whisky shows, private brand or friendly tastings, etc…but also due to distillery status, as I mentioned it above. On the contrary, some now « cult Â» distilleries (closed, mothballed or speculative) with only a few releases per year or decade (official or independent) are so hard to find (or so expensive) that I couldn’t try enough of their whiskies to include them here in this table. It can be also the case for some distilleries (such as some foreign ones) which have no importers in my country or do not wish to make people try their production (some French ones, for instance).

I would like at this occasion to thank here whisk(e)y producers or independent bottlers (and not to say friends & relatives) who sent me samples in order to taste them & review them. I have a lot of personal samples still to review, but lack of some recent or new distilleries samples. Anyway please be patient, because there is so much more to come !

To come back to the precise distilleries list, let’s point out that The BALVENIE, a craft mid-capacity distillery, arrives first, in front of several distilleries of much bigger capacity. It is not by chance, having the opportunity to taste a lot of expressions over the years, but also because, between other things, of an interesting private tasting where I was lucky enough, with some friends, (thanks to French ambassador of the brand), to « deconstruct Â» a version of « Tun 1401 Â» (tasting every cask composing the blend). CAOL ILA & LAPHROAIG are logically in Top 7 because their casks are among the most sold to brokers or independent bottlers (so was The MACALLAN at a time-let’s recall that the distillery loses prefix « The Â» when it is independently bottled). On a more positive side, the stats also show my affection for craft & traditionally driven (& I have to add « historical Â» !) distilleries such as SPRINGBANK, BOWMORE or BRUICHLADDICH (even if, for the latter, I have some huge hesitations about their finishing policy-I prefer from far PORT CHARLOTTE & OCTOMORE expressions). I’m also very concerned about such prestigious & sometimes family owned distilleries such as HIGHLAND PARK or GLENFARCLAS (the latter only is family owned) or crafted distilleries that do not trade their stocks except for a few blends such as GLENMORANGIE.

The real end of list (on rank 50 and 51) is occupied by TOMATIN & EDRADOUR. TOMATIN is not widely available in France (even if at a time the 12 years old was easy to find), and EDRADOUR since the Signatory Vintage takeover has been a bit disappointing to my opinion, except for some expressions, such as the excellent recent 12 years old « Caledonia Â».

However, some characters (I mean numbers) do not fit with reality & with my tastes and interest for some distilleries approach such as GLENGOYNE & LAGAVULIN. I do admire the sophistication, the originality and the authenticity of their production, most of the time, but they are not on Top of the list but rather in the end (in 35 and 36 rank). Why ? Well it is mostly because at a time their whiskies were not very much available (mainly LAGAVULIN, with only 2 or 3 expressions available here and GLENGOYNE is not distributed by La Maison du Whisky –except for some single-casks in the past-so it almost never entered public tastings as official bottlings). Of course, the best examples, with some calculation (speculation ?) here from their owner Diageo, are PORT ELLEN & BRORA, two sublime distilleries closed since more than 30 years, but still releasing several bottlings per decades, if not once a year since then. I Could also quote OBAN which is rarely bottled (beyond the 14 years old) or too expensive when getting older (same as DALWHINNIE). Another good example is GLENURY-ROYAL distillery, getting rarer even in independent bottlings, and more and more expensive. I’m almost ashamed to say that I only tried two expressions of it, but I love them both and consider this spirit’s quality as very high.

It is a safe bet that these tasting statistics are going to be very different within 5 or 10 years (or even before), with the increase of whiskies prices, the rush, the speculation.I am starting to meet people who have never tasted a PORT ELLEN single-malt and this is a problem. I believe that older collectors, even in France, should help the younger generations to discover old style crafted whiskies such as this one (when they can of course), because soon, if we are not wary of, many people will never know anything else than technological & industrial aseptic whiskies. To stay positive, fortunately, with all the new crafted (Scottish & World) distilleries now on the market and the old traditional ones that remain, there is hope !

Let’s end up with non Scottish Whiskies statistics that are not on the table:

First are distilleries that have recently proved their skills & capacities to propose crafted masterpieces such as AMRUT or excellent single-malts with a local touch such as MACKMYRA, but also of course confirmed Japanese & Irish distilleries, and a French one (the oldest !):

AMRUT, the non-Scottish la distillery whose single-malts have been the most tasted. Picture: © Grégoire Sarafian

AMRUT (India) = 24

MIDLETON (Ireland) = 21 (but one could also add their blended-whiskies & Pure Pot Stills from brand JAMESON & other, that may change the numbers)

MACKMYRA (Sweden) = 19

COOLEY (Ireland) = 18 (details are 10 tastings for CONNEMARA & 8 for The TYRCONNELL, both single-malts, of course one could add GREENORE, their single-grain, and their blended-whisky brand named INISHOWEN)

MIYAGIKYO & YOICHI (Japan, NIKKA group) come together with same number of tastings with 18 each, but once again much more if one adds the 16 blended-whiskies & blended-malts tasted produced by the group)

YAMAZAKI (Japan, SUNTORY group) = 16 (& 20 if one adds the blended-whiskies)

WARENGHEM (France, single-malt called ARMORIK) = 14 (then again a bit more with their blended-whiskies)

KARUIZAWA (Japan, closed distillery with casks stock now owned by Number One drinks independent company) = 13

BUFFALO TRACE (U.S.A.- and the other brands owned by them or partners such as BLANTON’S, VAN WINKLE, etc…) = 13

HANYU (Japan, closed distillery with casks stock now owned by Number One drinks independent company) = 12

TASMANIA DISTILLERY (Australia, single-malt called SULLIVANS COVE) = 11

HAKUSHU (Japan, SUNTORY group) = 8

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2/ SOON TO COME: New articles, tastings notes, etc…

To be followed on the website, other tastings notes, and among these, some « specials Â» under the « Express Notes Â» files, about samples I recently received from independent bottler HUNTER LAING (all Scottish single-malts), but also others from the oldest american distillery called MICHTER’S, one that I have already talked about here (2 tasting notes already on line), a France exclusive topic ! (no one did talk about it before). Besides, I will be soon reviewing an ARRAN very special edition sample (one already sold out) that I got swapping a sample with another blogger, plus some extra samples waiting for some time to be tasted and probably a topic about blended-whiskies.

Some prestigious Japanese single-malts will be also reviewed (presentation & tasting notes), and of course the about the following Scottish distilleries: BRUICHLADDICH, KILCHOMAN, BALBLAIR, OLD PULTENEY, BENROMACH, GLENDRONACH, The GLENROTHES, INCHGOWER, ISLE OF JURA, LITTLEMILL, CARDHU, GLEN GRANT, GLEN MORAY, LINKWOOD, LONGMORN, The MACALLAN, TORMORE, etc… These will come first, and more later on.

To be followed also presentation notes & tasting notes about Irish distilleries (such as BUSHMILLS & COOLEY), Irish independent bottlers (The TEELING Whisky co, The IRISHMAN), American distilleries (including BUFFALO TRACE, FOUR ROSES, WOODFORD RESERVE) or also Canadian ones.

Please be patient for all these notes. Of course, as September will arrive quick, there will be some huge events, such as Whisky Live Paris 2014 but also other private & public tasting events, all things I will speak about in one of next Editorials.

Samples recently received from independent bottler HUNTER LAING will be reviewed, scored & then notes will be available

on line soon. Picture: Â© Grégoire Sarafian

As soon as some technical problems will be solved, you will also find other « Focus Â» topics about distilleries & independent bottlers & other « Favorite Â» topics & « Interviews Â».

Besides, I wish to put on line quickly some topics about other spirits, waiting for some time to be completed (not depending much on me this time !) such as a report about a visit to an artisan independent Cognac bottler, another one about an Armagnac artisan independent bottler, and probably some day a topic about Rum. Also some interviews but it will be a surprise, can’t tell more. Gregs Whisky Guide is of course a website mainly speaking about whisky, but, as I already wrote it on the site, I wish to to stay open about other spirits, especially cask matured ones. Recent Armagnac, Cognac, Calvados or Rum tastings since 2012 proved me that I was right, and also that sometimes very interesting comparisons with whiskies had to be made.

Cognac independent bottler Grosperrin’s (La Gabare ltd) Warehouse No 1, located in Saintes, France.

Picture: © Grégoire Sarafian, during a private visit in March 2014

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3/ QUESTIONS TO THIS WEBSITE VISITORS (An informal POLL) :

As we are gently approaching this website’s first birthday, I wanted to have a feedback about it from you, dear readers. So, in a half-informal way, I would like to ask you 3 questions to which you can answer through the contact page of this website. I will then analyse the results, publish them and comment them and give some answers if possible.

1/ Please rate the web site between 1 to 5 (5 being the highest), about its presentation, navigability, etc…In other words, do you find this web site attractive enough, practical enough to browse in, pleasant, do you find in it what you are looking for ?

2/ Please rate the web site between 1 to 5 (5 being the highest), about its content. In other words, do this website answer correctly to your questions about whisky, to what you wish to find in such as website ?

3/ Among the 5 following topics, which one (s) would you like me to write about soon on the website (open questions with several choices possible) :

a/-A general topic, that fits with the Whisky news (if you wish you can precise which one)

b/-A « Focus Â» on a distillery or an independent bottler (if you wish you can precise which one)

c/-A topic about blended-whiskies & blended-malts

d/-A technical topic (if you wish you can precise which one)

e/- Other (please precise which one)

Thanks a lot in advance for participating to this...