Dear Member,
Islay Whisky Club Christmas Meeting
26 members and friends of the Islay Whisky Club met on the 6th December 2005
at Northbridge Bistro to sample a great collection of whiskies (not all from
Islay, obviously) and enjoyed a dinner cooked by Chef John Evans with a dessert
by Sonia Evans, with matched whiskies by Franz Scheurer.
For a full report and pics, click here!
Islay Whisky Club – Malt Whisky Convention, Plenary SessionAs
many of you would know I was one of the speakers at the Malt Whisky Convention
in Sydney and my full Plenary Session text is now up on the Australian Gourmet
Pages' website. To view it go to the Archives section and scroll down to
Whisky and Spirit related. The topic of the Plenary seesion is:
1+1=3 Matching Whisky and Food.
Islay Whisky Club – Inaugural Meeting
On Tuesday 5 July 2005, forty-odd malt heads and Islay fanatics came together
at the Wharf Restaurant to celebrate the establishment of the Islay Whisky
Club in Australia. After a short welcome speech participants were offered
a slice of warm black pudding on bread, and then the following whiskies were
lined up for the tasting:
Ardbeg 10 y/o, 46% a/v
Ardbeg Very Young, dist. 1998 bottled 2004, 58.3% a/v
Ardbeg Uigeadail, no age statement, 54.2% a/v
Ardbeg 21 y/o, 56.3% a/v
Ardbeg Serendipity, 12 y/o, 40% a/v
Ardbeg Lord of the Isles, no age statement, 46% a/v
Bowmore Mariner, 15 y/o, 43% a/v
Bowmore Legend, no age statement, 40% a/vol
Bowmore Dawn, no age statement, 51.5%, Port finish
Bruichladdich 10 y/o, 46% a/v
Bruichladdich 15 y/o, 46% a/v
Bruichladdich 1989, 13 y/o, 57.1% a/v
Bunnahabhain 12 y/o, 40% a/v
Caol Ila 12 y/o, 43% a/v
Caol Ila 18 y/o, 43% a/v
Douglas Laing Port Ellen dist.1982 bottled 2004, 21 y/o, 50% a/v
Islay Whisky Club Bottling, 10 y/o, 40% a/v (Caol Ila 10 y/o)
Jura Superstition no age statement, 45% a/v
Jura 5 y/o, 60.6% a/v
Lagavulin 16 y/o, 43% a/v
Lagavulin dist. 1986 bottled 2002, 43% a/v
Lagavulin 12 y/o, 58.2% a/v
Laphroaig 10 y/o, 43% a/v
Laphroaig 15 y/o, 43% a/v
Laphroaig 30 y/o, 43% a/v
Laphroaig Quarter Cask, no age statement, 48% a/v
Laphroaig 1994 Highgrove House, 40%
and, waiting ominously on the table, masked and mysterious, the evening’s blind tasting.
For approximately an hour the tasters immersed themselves in the whiskies,
nibbling on the superb raw ham, cured by the Bavarian Butcher from Craig
O’Regan’s fabulous ‘Fine Swine’ pigs, accompanied by crunchy rusks of toast.
The mood lifted by the minute, faces broke into broad smiles leaving the
stresses of the workday behind, conversation became more animated and the
whole group succeeded in focusing on their individual, favourite drams.
A sit-down dinner, featuring a superb glazed chicken with smoked salt, provided
the necessary sustenance to prepare the crowd for a second hour of tastings
and a table captain at each table provided guidance and advice as to which
whisky to match to the food.
The three most celebrated whiskies on the night were, in order: the Laphroaig
30, followed by the Port Ellen and the Ardbeg 21. Needless to say, with a
field of this quality most whiskies scored a ‘favourite’ from someone in
the crowd.
The evening culminated in an options game with the masked whisky until, eventually,
only one man was left standing who not only guessed the distillery but the
exact expression. Congratulations to Andrew Derbidge, you’re a star!
The blind tasting: Longrow 14 y/o from Campbelltown.
This was one serious whisky night for serious enthusiasts with a passion
for malt whiskies from Islay and happily the club now has a lot of new members!
Special thanks to Tim Pak Poy, Aaron Ross and the staff at the Wharf Restaurant
for their generosity and fabulous food. Thanks to all the participants who
made the long trek to the end of the wharf to find whisky bliss and thanks
to Bruce Ferrier and the Gillies Club for their support on the night.
Slainte!
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Join us in Bavaria for a Exceptional Whisky Weekend - 14th. 15th. & 16th. October 2005
The Programme
Friday 14th. Arrival and book in, after 3pm.
Early evening - meet the members in the whisky bar hosted by Bob, Club President and Whisky Expert, Charles MacLean.
Tasting with Bushmill - Special Bottling
Bavarian 3-course Dinner incl. coffee / tea.
Saturday 15th. Buffet breakfast
Mid-morning, Whisky Workshop
Free time to explore the nearby town of Rain
Masterclass hosted by Charles MacLean
Evening starts with pipes and drums of the"Royal-Sulgemer Crown-Swamp-Pipers"
Gala Dinner: The pipe band will lead us into the dining room for a scrumptious 5-course meal
The cabaret is brought to us by "Scapa Flow" wonderful musicians from Ireland and Scotland.
Sunday 16th. Buffet breakfast
Excursion / guided tour to Harburg Castle, one of the oldest and largest castle complexes in Germany
Departure - Auf Wiedersehen
Follow this link for all the details
To indicate your interest, just fill in the form you will find on the price
details page, with no obligation, or you can email us direct.
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KILCHOMAN DISTILLERY is the first to be built on Islay for over 120 years.
Kilchoman is a farm scale distillery and the first to be built on Islay since
1881. Kilchoman will give everyone the opportunity to see all that is best
in the grass-roots traditions of whisky production.
Open Day - 3 June 2005
Follow this link to read more
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Limburg International Whisky Fair
Those members who are planning to be at the Limburg Festival and would like
to join the Club Ambassador's from Germany, Austria and Holland with our
Club President for a ' wee dram and a blather ' please contact Gerold Vincon:
GVincon@web.de
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Islay Whisky Club Goes Down Under !
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Franz Scheurer as Club Ambassador for Australia.
Franz is in the process of setting up the club chapter.
The full story will appear in our next newsletter and on the web site.
Enjoy your Club. Enjoy your Dram.
