...where distraction is the main attraction.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

A post-Valentine's Day Post (aka Whisky Fail!)

I'd like to address a couple of factual errors I've made.  I thought it appropriate to do now since Valentine's Day is the holiday wherein one confesses to one's grievous errors and promises to do better in the year that follows.

Or maybe that's Yom Kippur.

Anyway, two whisky items to recount:
  1. Glenkinchie 12 year - I had originally stated that most of the Lowland distilleries distill their spirit three times, as opposed to the usual Scotch single malt procedure of double distillation.  In fact (according to this year's official Malt Whisky Yearbook), Auchentoshan is the only Lowland distillery that consistently practices triple distillation.  The original 19th-century Lowland distillery style was to use triple distillation to get that soft light texture and palate, but since then other techniques have been discovered (like extra long fermentation times) that give the spirit a very similar character.  While other distilleries (like Springbank and BenRiach) are experimenting with triple distillation products, Auchentoshan is the only Lowlander that does it consistently.
  2. Springbank 10 years old 100 proof - After delving into the relevant tangent of the difference between UK and US alcohol proofing, and explaining that this whisky's 100 proof equalled 57% ABV, I discovered that the US bottling of this whisky is at 50% ABV (which is 100 US proof).  The UK bottling is still 57% ABV, thus 100 UK proof.  Why'd they change the whisky for the American market?  I don't know.  Perhaps to prevent confusion about "proof".  (Though Glenfarclas has not changed the bottling strength of its "105" whisky for the American market.)  So, how did I make this Springbank discovery?  I looked at the new 10yr 100 Proof US bottle I'd purchased......a month after I'd purchased it.  The original report that I did, and linked to above, is for the 57% ABV UK bottling.  I will be doing a report on the American release in the near future.  The great news is that the American release is also fully scrumptious.
I have updated these reports appropriately.