To prep for Wednesday’s start to Tales of the Cocktail, some people rest their livers, while others expedite their demise with some Rusty Nails.  I chose the latter. The Drambuie: Revisited, Revived & Remixed event at the  Roosevelt Hotel featured the classic Rusty Nail cocktail, plus four modern variations, live jazz and glitzy cocktail servers with big feather hats.  The four Rusty Nail cocktails were created by bartenders from Portland to Milwaukee to New York City, and each took the Rusty Nail base (Scotch and Drambuie) and added ingredients and flavors to form innovative variations, detailed below: Encrusted Nail – Chad Doll,...

According to some new research commissioned by Chivas Brothers, nine out of 10 consumers believe that a whisky’s age statement serves as an indicator of quality. But oddly enough, most of these same consumers don’t understand what an age statement actually means.  The research notes that 90 percent of drinkers don’t realize that an age statement refers to the youngest whisky in the bottle. Nearly half (48%) believe an age statement refers to the average age, while 35% believe it signifies the oldest whisky present. To combat this lack of public knowledge, Chivas Brothers—whose portfolio includes Ballantine’s, Chivas...

Jura Prophecy is one of the newer scotch whisky offerings from the Isle of Jura Distillery and a recent addition to the U.S. market.  Jura falls under the Glasgow-based distiller, Whyte and Mackay, which also produces the Dalmore lineup. This heavily-peated single malt is bottled without chill filtration, which preserves more of the original spirit’s texture and character. Chill filtering removes some residue from whisky, mostly for cosmetic reasons, so Jura Prophecy retains some haze in its appearance. On the nose, the rich amber whisky smells of subtle peat smoke, which gives way to soft fruit and sherry notes, plus some baking...

Drambuie is a Scotch liqueur with a unique combination of aged Scotch whiskies, heather honey, herbs and spices.  It makes for a tasty addition to cocktails—it’s also pretty solid on it’s own—and the fine folks at Drambuie have provided a few cocktail recipes below: The Rusty Nail 1 1/2 oz. Scotch whisky 1/2 oz. Drambuie 1 twist lemon peel Pour the Scotch and Drambuie over ice in an old-fashioned glass. Stir well, and garnish with a lemon twist. The Rusty Nail is a classic, and it’s a fairly benign start for the first-timer’s foray into Scotch cocktails. The sweet Drambuie tempers some of the bite of...

The Bowmore Distillery is one of Scotland’s oldest distilleries, having stood on the shores of Islay since 1779.  It is one of the few distilleries that continues to hand turn its own floor malted barley, rather than outsourcing the chore. Bowmore’s 12-Year-Old Scotch Whisky is the youngest of the age specified Bowmore lineup, which also includes 15- 18- and 25-year old expressions. On the nose, the amber spirit is distinctively smoky, with hints of citrus and honeyed sweetness. The body is light, almost watery.  On the palate, the peat smoke is very noticeable, and there’s a warm, subtle chocolate undertone.  It finishes...

Recently 30 booze experts tasted 1,024 premium spirits for the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.  Entries represented 58 countries and six continents.  Some winners are noted below. Premium Awards Distillery of the Year – Glenmorangie Distillery Importer of the Year – Moët Hennessy USA Best in Show, White – Trago Silver Tequila ($40) Best in Show, Whisky – Isle of Jura Prophecy ($70) Best in Show, Brandy – Père Magloire 20 Year Old Calvados ($100) Best in Show, Liqueur – Grand Marnier 100th Anniversary ($135) “Best of” Awards Vodka – Chase ($40) Flavored Vodka – Rain Organics Cucumber Lime ($21) Gin – Beefeater 24 ($30) Rum – Vizcaya VXOP Solera  ($38) Extra-Aged...

I recently had the opportunity to try the new single malt offering from The Balvenie, one of Scotland’s famed Speyside distilleries.  The limited edition 17-year-old Balvenie Madeira Cask was aged in traditional American oak whiskey casks before being transferred to barrels that previously held fortified Madeira wine. This isn’t the first Balvenie expression that matures in fortified wine barrels.  The 12-Year DoubleWood matures in sherry casks, while the 21-Year PortWood finishes, as the name implies, in port casks.  Being a fan of the latter, and anticipating a tasty harmony of fruit and spice, I was eager to try The Balvenie Madeira...

With the holidays upon us, we’re likely to receive a few misguided gifts, like tacky sweaters or anything that’s not distilled, aged and potable.  With this in mind, The Balvenie is offering the chance to win a unique prize that’s more your style: a Scotch whiskey nosing and tasting kit.  The kit contains 24 separate aromas and a dedicated nosing guide, as well as other essential whiskey tasting tools.  The lucky winner will also receive a Balvenie hipflask, perfect for your boring office holiday party.  Click to enter the sweepstakes. In more Balvenie news, the newest addition to The Balvenie 17-Year-Old...

Rye whiskey is back, and in a big way.  The recently released 2010 edition of the Whisky Bible, the prominent whiskey book by Jim Murray, has named Kentucky’s 18-year-old Sazerac Rye  as the finest whiskey on the market.  It edged out Scotland’s second-place Ardbeg Supernova—which has dominated the awards for several years—and a relative newcomer to the mix, third-place Amrut Fusion from Bangalore, India. Jim Murray described Sazerac’s 18-year-old Rye as "reaching previously unknown heights,” and mentions that by being named the world’s top whiskey, Sazerac 18 has “set the bar for rye whiskey, and it will be fascinating in...

          Recently I mentioned the wine and spirits auction at Christie's, which included the prized Bowmore Trilogy and other rare whiskies.  The results are in, and the buyers of these fine spirits have racked up quite a bar tab. The Bowmore Trilogy led the way at more than $21,000, and a Macallan 55 year old in a Lalique crystal decanter, of which only 420 were produced, sold at over $13,000.  Meanwhile, a bottle of Redbreast 15 went for a modest $84, a number I’m more familiar with.  All whiskies auctioned off are listed below, complete with sale price.  ...