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Whilst the new whisky tasting section of our web site is being constructed, we thought we would introduce you to some interesting whiskies and a very interesting gin from Speyside, yes Speyside.
Working with masterofmalt.com Graham has been nosing and sipping quite a few malts recently, here is a selection of his tasting notes.
For more information and to purchase these wonderful premium spirits go to www.masterofmalt.com or click on the spirit name to be re-directed.
Tasting Notes – MasterofMalt.com
Graham Harvey is a master chef, restaurateur and whisky writer. With partner Sheila McConachie he provides whisky tasting and whisky and food pairing master classes at their restaurant Craggan Mill in Grantown on Spey, in the heart of the Speyside whisky region, as well as other venues around the world. Graham’s passion for whisky led to the publication of “The Whisky Kitchen – 100 ways with whisky and food”, co-authored with Sheila. The Whisky Kitchen won the Gourmand World Cook Book Award in Paris in 2009.
All malts are blind tasted with no knowledge of origin.
 
Colour
Amber Gold
Score
Nose
Dominated by honey and vanilla, raisins and a hint of oak follows. With water chocolate appears along with some spice and pear drops.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
7/10
Taste
Richly honeyed, lots of oak coming through mid palate, backed up with vanilla and malt appears late. With water becomes very dry and quite spicy.
Finish
Moderate length spiced vanilla. Altogether a pleasant enough dram that could do with a few more years in cask to form a proper marriage and gain complexity.
 
 
Colour
Autumn Gold
Score
Nose
Earthy, damp peat, pleasant herbal background from which a slightly minty note emerges. With water a touch of smoke, like sitting round a smouldering bonfire.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
9/10
Taste
Thick caramel, some spice to back this up, perhaps a hint of orange peel, malty with a hint of smoke. With water, quite dry and over ripe bananas make a barely distinguishable but welcome showing.
Finish
Long malty and slightly smoky, with water malt brought to the front and orange peel lingers. A very pleasant dram.
 
 
Colour
Pale Gold
Score
Nose
Sweet intense and complex combination of oak, almonds, banana and maple syrup. With water it’s just like nosing a box of liquorice allsorts.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
6/10
Taste
Initial sweetness backed up with a big hit of coconut. With water oak comes through as does cinder toffee. Expected a lot more after the intensely complex nose.
Finish
Disappointingly short and dry. I really wish this offered more, I felt a little cheated by its failure to deliver.
 
 
Colour
Pale Gold
Score
Nose
Powerfully complex with wine gums and ripe cherries and a hint of lavender. With water unmistakeable notes of liquorice and my granny’s parma violets,.
 
 
 
 
 
 
9/10
Taste
Lovely oily mouth feel, candied fruits and wood, water brings out a little peat in the form of Virginia tobacco.
Finish
Candied fruits stay around for quite a while, a little peat develops. A truly great cask strength malt, amazed to find it was Bowmore.
 
 
Colour
Rich Autumn Gold
Score
Nose
Obviously a marriage of young expressions, powerful acetone notes, water reveals honey and caramel
 
 
 
 
 
 
8/10
Taste
Thick with barley sugar, honey and caramel, roasted sesame, cinnamon making a last minute appearance.
Finish
Medium length, lots of tobacco, beeswax and leather. Like relaxing in an old leather armchair in an Edwardian gentleman’s club.
 
 
Colour
Pale yellow
Score
Nose
Sherry, slightly herbal, citrus oil and something else in the background, hard to identify, finally got it as juniper, what is that doing there?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
8.5/10
Taste
Barley sugar and sweet caramel, faint hint of smoke, there is the juniper again along with a hint of spice.
Finish
Dry ginger and mixed spice. After writing these notes I did a bit of research on this Swedish distillery, to find that they do indeed add juniper twigs in the malting process, I thought I was going mad. Altogether a very interesting malt.
 
 
Colour
Chrystal White
Score
Nose
The ubiquitous juniper is obvious, backed up by a really well balanced floral, sweet, fruity combination.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10/10
Taste
Crisp, refreshing, dry and complex, layer upon layer of flavours present themselves to the palate, individually divine together sublime.
Finish
Retains the crisp mouth feel and refreshing dryness throughout the lasting finish. I hate to use clichés but this is probably the best gin in the world, bar none.
 
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The Whisky Kitchen

 

 

 

The Whisky Kitchen

Published March 2008!

and in Paris on 1st July 2009

The Whisky Kitchen was named

The Best book in the World for Cooking with Beer, Wine and Spirits

Order from Amazon

Reviews of The Whisky Kitchen

 

 

Sheila and Graham have faced one of the most pleasurable tasks imaginable matching the fantastic malts produced across Scotland with the very best of Scottish cuisine. The recipes in this book will bring joy to all those who cook them and hopefully introduce many more people to the best Scotland has to offer

Rt Hon Alex Salmond MP, MSP, First Minister for Scotland

You don’t have to be a whisky aficionado to add ‘The Whisky Kitchen’ to your culinary library; in fact most of the 100 plus recipes would survive without the addition of Scotch, but would be much poorer for it. Sheila McConachie & Graham Harvey’s Craggan Mill restaurant is in the heartland of Speyside & from their Grantown on Spey base they’ve spent a year crafting an eclectic mix of dishes, using easily followable recipes, featuring a vast range of whiskies. It’s not essential to track down each whisky, but it would be a glorious quest. To set you on the trail there are sections on the different whisky producing regions of Scotland.

A creamy Veloute soup of Haggis laced with Glenfarclas 15 year old is one of Graham’s award winning dishes (Spirit of Speyside Chef of the Year 2007). Tea smoked Duck with Cherry & Cashew Nut Salad is underpinned by Jura 10 year old & the fruit in the Steamed Walnut & Prune Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce, benefits from being steeped in Ben Riach 15 year old which has a Dark Rum Wood finish (wouldn’t we all).

The ‘dive into the page & gorge yourself’ factor is provided by Graeme Wallace’s photographs. Considering Graham was born in North Wales & spent 22 years as an RAF engineer, he’s turned out to be a brilliant ambassador for Scotland’s whiskies & its produce & obviously didn’t spend all those years solely tinkering with undercarriages. No doubt Dundee born Sheila has steered him in the right direction, when needed. Lucky us!

Nigel Barden, BBC Radio London

 

News Release 16th December 2008

The Whisky Kitchen wins

Gourmand World Cookbook Award

Winner Gourmand World Cook Awards

Allergy Information

V – Denotes vegetarian dishes G – Gluten Free or Gluten Free Option Available
*– Suitable for a vegan diet or vegan option available All dishes may contain nuts or nut based products