Feis Ile 2014 Islay Whisky Festival - Highlights

Paps of Jura

It's just as simple as this. If you like Islay whiskies, go to Islay. There is nothing to compare with sipping a dram at its source - the distillery where it's made. So, in May, I headed off again to this magnificent island, along with five favourite family members and several thousand other visitors, for the annual Feis - Islay's festival of music and whisky.

Bruichladdich open day

Feis Ile had its roots back in 1984, when dedicated locals decided to initiate a Gaelic, music and culture festival. This was expanded in 2000 when the distilleries became more involved and started holding open days and producing special festival bottlings. The rest, as they say, is history.
This is one of the most successful whisky festivals in the world, and a decision to attend benefits from planning a year in advance. Ferries, flights, accommodations and distillery activities are snapped up like hotcakes for the last week in May. Eagle eyes are useful for figuring out when distillery events become available for purchase, and much tenacity is required to snag a place at some of the headliner whisky extravaganzas.
But ask anyone who's attended Feis Ile - and many return year after year - and you'll hear the same accolades time and time again. This is one fine festival!

New friends and regular attendees from Sweden in their custom Feis Ile 2014 shirts

This year, the sun shone on Islay for the whole week, and I fairly scurried around the distilleries soaking in the atmosphere, local food, fabulous whisky events, happy people and great music.
Over the next few weeks, summer notwithstanding, I'll be writing separate stories about the whiskies and each of the distilleries, including Gartbreck - soon be Islay's ninth distillery - an impressive number for an island of about 600sq kms.
To kick things off, I'm going to pick a few pictorial highlights - a difficult task from a week with endless delights, but here goes.

Cool blades on Flybe flight to Islay

Great views of Ardbeg, Laphroaig and Lagavulin

2 hr queue for Lagavulin Festival bottle - worth the wait, met great people

10a.m. a wee dram of Lagavulin 16 to pass the time in the queue

Fabulous whisky and chocolate pairing at Bunnahabhain

Islay oysters - best I've ever tasted

Cocktail session with whisky ambassador David Sinclair

Jim McEwan's Masterclass at Bruichladdich. What a rock star that man is!

Delicious baked goods everywhere!

Jura Distillery day - awesome.

Honour system for tea and cake at Kildalton Cross

Beautiful views on the Mull of Oa

Awesome Ardbeg warehouse tasting with the one and only Mickey Heads

Running along Machir Bay

Caol Ila  tasting with Distillery Manager David Woods

Meeting Jean and Martine Donnay - creators of Gartbreck Distillery

Malting room at Kilchoman - serene and aromatic

I'm sitting  with a big smile of nostalgia on my face as I post these photos. Check back soon to read and see more about Feis Ile 2014 - never a distant memory!

GrapeScot Islay Whisky Tour September 2015

If you like what you see and fancy joining me on a  small group, very special tour to Islay next September 2015, drop me an email and I'll send you all the details.

The Sweet and Merry (Whisky) Month of May

I was driving along the other day listening to William Byrd's madrigal, The Sweet and Merry Month of May, written in 1590. Living in Ottawa, I certainly find this May to be sweet and merry, after the winter that kept on giving. I don't even mind that a phantom rabbit, or some such creature, munched all the heads off my crocuses. There were crocuses! Yeah!

(Fake bunny, not crocuses)

It could be due to the giddy joy of Springtime, coupled with the explosive growth in whisky appreciation, but May is manifesting itself as a major merry month for whisky lovers, with an abundance of festivals and events.
To kick things off, Homecoming Scotland 2014 has decreed that May is Whisky Month. The Islay Whisky Festival, Feis Ile, starts in May; the Spirit of Speyside has just finished; the Spirit of Stirling just wrapped up; the third annual World Whisky Day is on May 17th, as is the Glasgow Whisky festival; the first ever International Women of Whisky Day was on May 3rd. Not to focus only on Scotland, the 10th annual Spirit of Toronto event was also on May 3rd. And so the list goes on.

Kusshi oyster with Bruichladdich 10 year old at Spirit of Toronto - Brilliant!

Moment of Clarity - Botanist Gin, Vanilla/Cassia Bark Bitters and Lemon Syrup. My favourite cocktail at Spirit of Toronto

Outside of May, the number of whisky festivals is growing at an incredible rate; and there's no shortage of whisky sippers keen to travel the globe and pay substantial prices for tickets to Masterclasses, grand gala events, distillery visits, food and whisky pairing dinners, and tastings of drams of all kinds. There are thousands of different whiskies on the market, so these events provide an opportunity to taste widely, and hone in on particular whiskies, distilleries, styles and other characteristics that personally appeal. Almost all of the festivals involve live music, much camaraderie, and the opportunity to connect with folks who share the same passion for uisge beatha. On Islay, each of the distilleries produces special festival bottlings for the event - hot commodities that sell out quickly, often on release day.

I'll be on Islay next week for Feis Ile 2014

The Festival phenomena is relatively recent. Feis Ile started life in 1985, Spirit of Speyside in 1999,  in Canada, the New Brunswick Spirits Festival started in 1996. The Kentucky Bourbon Festival in Bardstown - a must for Bourbon lovers - will be enjoying its 23rd year this September. Others were born since the Millennium - Inverness (2011), Stirling (2012), Spirit of Toronto (2005), Victoria Whisky Festival (2006), Winnipeg (2013) Kingston (2013). All of these festivals are wildly popular, with many events being snapped up the instant they go on sale.

Official toasting bourbon of the Kentucky Bourbon Festival. I served this in April at an Arnprior blind tasting.

Ironically, I booked accommodations on Islay over a year ago, but didn't get out out of the gates quickly enough for the events reservation process, resulting in this kind of dismay.

This can happen quickly when thousands of visitors descend on a  wee island!

Still, thanks to a little tenacity, coupled with the flexibility and generosity of some fine whisky people including Jim McEwan (Bruichladdich), Andrew Brown (Bunnahabhain) and David Wood (Caol Ila), we have a fabulous week of whisky, food, music, hanging out at distilleries, and grand conversation to look forward to. I'll be tweeting and instagramming while on Islay, and writing about all the great events afterwards.
Islay has a ninth distillery in the works. Check out the plans for Gartbreck, hoping to begin production in the Fall of 2015.

Two fabulous whisky and food events

Divinos

Whisky selection at Divino's April 2014

In April, I returned to Divino Wine Studio to lead another whisky tasting. To my mind, this is one of the premier spots in Ottawa for fabulous whisky and food pairings. Over the last few years, I've selected over seventy different whiskies for this venue. Current Chef and co-owner Cristian Lepore, digs deep into his Italian roots, and turns my high level suggestions for food pairings into delicious works of art, refusing to finalize each of the five courses until he, and co-owner and Sommelier, Eric Diotte, have sampled the whiskies alongside the creations. The result - incredibly happy guests and "Sold Out" signs for every event.

Starting to pour for the Divino whisky tasting

Many congratulations to Top Chef Canada Rene Rodriguez of Navarra Restaurant. If there's ever a global competition for Top Whisky Chef, my money's on Cristian Lepore. This was the line-up for the April event, although the brief descriptions, by necessity, don't fully describe the many nuances and different elements in each course. Delicious!

Arnprior

The following day, I was in Arnprior for the annual Optimist Club whisky tasting fundraiser. For this year's event, Dan and Chris, the tireless organizers, decided that a blind tasting would be fun, so I decided to select five whiskies from five different countries, with minimal clues as to what was going on.

Ed Murphy pouring perfect secret drams in the back room

95% of attendees loved the blind tasting format; a few would have preferred to know what was in each glass beforehand; and a few more were having a good time until they discovered that there was only one Single Malt in the collection.
The line up included the amazing Green Spot Pot Still Irish Whiskey from Midleton Distillery; Nikka Pure Malt White from Japan which, with its peaty character, fooled almost everyone into thinking it was from Islay; the award winning Lot 40, 100% rye Canadian whisky; the delectable 1792 Ridgemont Reserve bourbon; and the luscious and unpeated Bunnahabhain 18 year old, which most people attributed to Speyside.

Three of the five whiskies in the blind tasting

The food at this event was deliciously prepared by dedicated volunteers, and included the best Cock a' Leekie soup I've ever had, wonderful smoked trout and smoked salmon, more-ish corned beef on rye, apple custard cinnamon tarts and spotted dick with two sauces. Yum!
This annual event is like a kitchen party - lots of fun and camaraderie, good food, good whisky. In fact, I think I'll start calling it the Spirit of Arnprior! Join us next year before it's Sold Out.

GrapeScot whisky tour

All going well, and apart from Feis Ile on Islay next week, I'm planning to be in Bardstown for the Kentucky Bourbon Festival in September, and in Scotland again  next May for the Spirit of Speyside, and perhaps another trek up magnificent Lochnagar.

I plan to take a small tour group to Islay in 2015 - probably the Fall. It'll be fabulous, and whisky focused! Email me if you're interested, and I'll make sure that you receive details when the grand plan is ready for release.
After Islay, I'll be back at the Army Officers Mess on June 13th for another great whisky tasting. The summer - yes, it's coming - is a great time for private wine or whisky tastings, indoors or out, for special occasions or just because. Drop me an email if you have something specific in mind, or just an idea brewing.
Meanwhile, have a sweet and merry month of May.
By the way, if you like port, try Madeira. Delicious!

Have some Madeira, m'dear!

Slainte ! Cheers!

Does Whisky make you Mad?

Lagavulin 16 - one of the whiskies served at last week's Bachelor Party

Now that I have your attention, I'll shamelessly admit that I brought you here to learn about something other than whisky.
As the Children's Wish Foundation of Canada will benefit from any direct action on your part, I make no apologies for this ruse!

In about three weeks, I'll be joining a jolly group of about 40 thespians of The Savoy Society of Ottawa on stage at the Algonquin Commons Theatre for a production of Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta - Ruddygore. I'll be playing the wonderfully ludicrous part of Mad Margaret, one of an outrageous cast of characters who sing and act their way through a zany plot with great music.

Mad Margaret (me), Sir Despard Murgatroyd (Stuart MacKinnon) in Ruddigore (1990) at Centrepointe Theatre.

Here's the synposis............... 

The Baronets of Ruddygore have been cursed by a witch. Each Baronet must commit a crime a day - or die in torture. To escape his dreadful fate, Sir Ruthven Murgatroyd disguises himself as Robin Oakapple, a farmer. Robin Oakapple is in love and wants to marry - but his future plans appear doomed when his true identity is revealed. 

Gilbert and Sullivan wrote a handful of operettas back in the 1800's. The more well known ones are HMS Pinafore, Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado. The Savoy Society has been around since 1975 and has performed all of the 12 main Gilbert and Sullivan works on a quasi revolving basis.
As I've been with Savoy, on and off, since 1981 (ouch!), I've performed in four different Ruddigore productions over the years, playing three different roles. It's been - eh - a few years since I last played Mad Margaret.

My sons - one now an Engagement Manager at a Management Consulting Company and the other the Co-Founder and Artistic Designer of a clothing company.

Back in 1887, when it was first performed, audiences were shocked by the title Ruddygore, and it was subsequently renamed to the more obscure Ruddigore. The stage director for this production, the talented and knowledgeable Richard Langlois, decided to create an authentic production, using the original name. 127 years later, my local community centre seems reluctant to put up a poster! Checkout the link on Richard's name for a You Tube rehearsal clip.
For all the goriness of the title, this production is a delightful and highly entertaining romp, in a beautiful new theatre, with some extremely talented folks on stage. And the Children's Wish Foundation will be the beneficiary of donations to the wishing wells, as well as a donation from Savoy. Over the years, approximately $80,000 has been contributed in this way to worthy causes like Children's Wish.   

Pirates of Penzance 2008 Ruth (me), Frederic (Gavan Quinn), Pirate King (Rejean Dinelle-Mayer)

Photo Spencer Studio.

Performances are on April 3^rd (7:30pm), April 4th (7:30pm), April 5th (2pm and 7:30pm) and April 6^th (2pm). Tickets are available online at the theatre website or in person at the Algonquin Commons Theatre Box Office located at E104 in the Student Commons building. Tickets (including fees and taxes) are $36.50 for adults and $19 for children 12 and under. 
Do come out and see the show - and then go home and have a nice dram or glass of wine. That's what Mad Margaret will be doing!

Check back soon for Mad Whisky events during April, May and June!

An Olympic fever dram, The Macallan 1824 series, and talking to a haggis

I'm not in Sochi, but I may as well be, given the amount of time I'm spending watching the Olympics. I love winter Olympics, although it's a bit ironic that I convert from a pretty active person into a couch potato, while watching all these amazing athletes push themselves to the limit.   Eight years ago, we were living in France, and I took myself off to Bardonnechia to watch the inaugural Snowboard Cross event. My husband had meetings he needed to go to, so when I say "took myself off" I mean that I hopped on a  train from Geneva and went to the Olympics alone. Who does that!
That's how much I like winter Olympics.

So, needless to say, with even more inaugural events going on, coupled with Canada's great performance in Sochi, it's just easier to stop work, call out for pizza and ignore emails. I jest, but I'm definitely procrastinating more than usual. And I have noticed that Canadian twitter activity has diminished in the last week, except for athletic references. This is not necessarily a bad thing!

A few weeks ago, at the Victoria Whisky Festival, this whisky won the prestigious title of Canadian Whisky of the Year. Reasonably available at the LCBO, and under $40, Lot 40 is a fantastic 100% rye whisky, with a luscious mouth-feel and a spicy character. This is a grand Canadian dram to sip and savour while toasting your favourite athletes.

The Macallan 1824 Series

Two weeks ago, approximately 600 people turned out for the official Ottawa launch of The Macallan 1824 series. Although some of the product has been in the LCBO for quite a few months, this was an opportunity for a large number of people to taste the new collection of colour coded Single Malt Scotches from the great Speyside distillery. In recent weeks, about 3000 people have had the opportunity to taste the four Scotches, as the event made its way across Canada.

The tastings were led by Marc Laverdiere, Canadian Ambassador for The Macallan, and a congenial man with a friendly style and an obvious passion for his work. In Ottawa, attendees were treated to a cocktail made with The Macallan Gold and some tasty nibbles by Tulips and Maple, followed by a sequential tasting of The Macallan Gold, Sienna, Amber and Ruby.
The whiskies increase in colour and flavour intensity, mainly a result of different cask types, but also a factor of age. With no age expression on the bottles, the distillery has more leeway to marry whisky of any age to create the range. The emphasis is on cask previous contents, whether sherry or bourbon, first fill or subsequent fill, married together to create four different whiskies, at four different prices. As the whiskies flow from the lighter, crisp Gold to the rich, chocolatey Ruby, it's reasonable to assume that there are more casks of older whisky in the higher priced, richer flavored  products.

Many consumers like the comfort of buying a whisky with an age expression. If you buy a 15 year old Scotch, you are assured that the youngest whisky in the bottle is 15 years old. With the 1824 series, the distillery can add younger whiskies into the final pre-bottling marriage, if it suits the target flavour (and price) profile. The aim is for consumers to judge and enjoy these Scotches, without getting wound up about age.
My observation is that most tasters try to guess the age anyway, and then relate that to the price, as well as to other comparably aged whiskies. Time will tell whether the new strategy is a winner or not. Certainly, the 1824 series offers up four completely different whiskies at different price points. Current LCBO pricing is $64.95 for Gold, $99.95 for Amber, $174.95 for Sienna and $299.95 for Ruby.

Here are my notes on the range.

GOLD

Youthful, fresh, citrus notes, peardrops, nutty, white pepper; a warming finish.

AMBER

Fruity, apricots, vanilla, ginger, smoother on the palate, a medium finish.

SIENNA

Elegant, raisins, figs, fruitcake, a whiff of carbolic soap, cedar, warming and spicy.

RUBY

Rich, a melee of dried fruits, chocolate, cocoa, spicy cloves, a long warming finish, a cognac quality.

Talking to a haggis

Robert Burns birthday has come and gone. We celebrated well at our house, with eloquent speeches, well articulated poetry, beautiful singing and piano playing, fine piping, Scottish dancing and a veritable feast.

Front and centre of the feast was, of course, the previously mentioned haggis and a grand beast he was.
I chatted to him in the way that one does at Burns Suppers.............

Enjoy the rest of the Olympics!

On Burns Suppers, Haggis and January Whiskies

For a' that, an a' that,

It's comin' yet for a' that,
That man to man the world o'er
Shall brithers be for a' that.

Robert Burns was a hopeful man.

Saturday, 25th January marks the 255th anniversary of his birth, and celebrations are taking place all over the world. There are probably fifty going on in the Ottawa area. I know of at least a dozen. Scots in particular love to honour the occasion with attendance at Burns Suppers, formal and informal, but events are not exclusive to Scots, by any means. The universal appeal of celebratory and ceremonial events, especially those involving food, drink, dancing and entertainment is indisputable.
This year, I'll be singing at one in Kanata, and we're hosting our own Burns Supper in oor wee hoose, complete with our real live bagpiper (thanks Denis!), the best haggis in Ottawa, a Strip the Willow (raucous Scottish dance) and much ceremonial celebration of Rabbie's life and works.

I grew up in a Burns loving household. My Dad was a "Burns man", so I was weaned on Robert Burns' poems and songs. If I ever lose my memory, I'm certain that The Address to the Haggis will be the last thing to go. So appealing (and possibly incomprehensible) is the old Scots dialect that our Christmas Day dinner host requested that I recite "Fair fa' your honest sonsie face....." etc to the Christmas turkey!

Burns Suppers should include.......

• The Selkirk Grace (although not written by Burns)
• A piped procession of the haggis, followed by the Address to the Haggis, and consumption of a wee dram by those in the procession.
• A traditional menu of Scotch Broth or Cock a' leekie soup; followed by haggis, mashed neeps (turnips) and champit tatties (mashed potatoes); then Scotch trifle.
• The toast to the Immortal Memory of Robert Burns.
• A Toast to the Lassies.
• A reply to the Toast to the Lassies.
• Music, poetry readings and dancing, whether performed or participatory.

 

The Best Haggis in Ottawa

It can't be a well kept secret, because Stephane Sauvé of the Glebe Meat Market, makes about 3000lbs of haggis at this time of year. I've been buying his haggis for several years now, and it is consistently delicious, moist, perfectly seasoned, authentic haggis - the very stuff of which Burns wrote "Oh, what a glorious sight, warm, reekin', rich." Not everyone leaps at the chance to consume  a savoury pudding encased in an animal's stomach and containing sheep's heart, liver and lungs, mixed with onions, oatmeal, suet, stock and spices. But it is tasty, fabulous stuff. Trust me!

It's also fiendishly hard to make. Apart from getting the recipe, moisture level and seasonings just right, not to mention the difficulty of nipping down to Loblaws to pick up hearts and lungs, there's also the business of encasing the contents in an animal's stomach and ensuring that said contents don't burst during the cooking process. Nowadays much haggis is made with synthetic casings, but this is not the case at the Glebe Meat Market, where well sterilized cow stomachs are used. 

Stephane first started making haggis about 15 years ago, and spent several years in research and trial and error before coming up with the perfect haggis. In the early years, he asked many Scottish acquaintances and customers to try out his creations, until he got the unanimous "thumbs up". According to Steph, it's very difficult to find properly sterilized sheep stomach, but he's had great success with cow stomachs.
While the Glebe Meat Market is not the only source of haggis in the city, I've always been delighted with the product. Steph makes them to order, in various sizes, for pickup, fresh or frozen. Try it. You'll love it!

Whisky

Robert Burns, with his eighteenth century precursor to an ENJOY RESPONSIBLY message, had this to say about Scotch whisky..........
'Twill make a man forget his woe;
'Twill heighten all his joy. (John Barleycorn)
He also said......
Wi' tippenny we fear nae evil;
Wi' usquabae, we'll face the Devil! (Tam O'Shanter)
And, indeed, Tam O'Shanter did encounter a bit of trouble, on his way home, after too much whisky.

Assuming that, unlike Tam, you've left your trusty horse at home for the evening, Burns Suppers are great occasions to sample a few favourite drams. If you want to pair some whiskies with a traditional dinner, here are some of my suggestions.
With the soup, I'd suggest something sweet and gentle. Glenkinchie Distillers Edition, Auchentoshan Three Wood, The Macallan Amber, a young Aberlour, Balvenie or Glenfarclas all come to mind.

The haggis calls for your favourite whisky. Although I'm a huge fan of smoky Islay whiskies, I wouldn't rush to pair those with a plate of essentially sweet food - mashes and haggis. A hint of peat would be fine, though, so Highland Park 18 or Bowmore Darkest 15 year old would be nice to pull out for some favoured guests.

Others I fancy are Glendronach 15 or 18, full of lush sweetness; Aberlour 18, elegant and sweet; Glenfiddich 15 year old Solera Vat, nice and affordable; the elegant The Macallan Fine Oak 15 year old; rich Oban Distillers Edition; beautifully balanced Glen Grant 16 year old; the list goes on. I'd basically look for a decent bodied whisky, with inherent sweetness, and stay away from too much peat and special cask finishes other than sherry. But ultimately you should drink what you love and if something isn't working with the haggis, a drop or two of water will change the character, and all might be well.
Try a drop of Glenmorangie Nectar d'Or with the trifle. Or match sweet with sweet and go for some Glayva or Drambuie.
If there's room for oatcakes and cheese, especially stinky blue cheeses, then bring out your favourite Laphroaig, Ardbeg or Lagavulin and enjoy. I love Old Pulteney 17 year old with a good cheddar. Aberlour a'Bunadh, with its cognac like persona, would also enjoy centre stage at this point.

And if you really are going to serve all of these suggestions at your Burns Supper, then do please invite me!
Whatever you're doing in and around the 25th, raise a glass to Rabbie Burns. And with Valentines Day on the horizon, you need look no further than  Burns' love songs to woo someone special.
And I will love thee still, my Dear,
Till a' the seas gang dry.

 

Raise the Macallan Toronto Feb 5 and 6

The response to the Raise the Macallan events in Ottawa, Montreal and Vancouver was overwhelming, and all three locations are sold out for all sessions. I guess Canadians enjoy Scotch whisky, appreciate The Macallan, are curious about new expressions, and love free events!
If you're in the Toronto area, there are still spots available for the six sessions at the Shangri-La Hotel on February 5 and 6. Click this link to register.

I'll look forward to meeting many of you at the Ottawa sessions on January 28.
Slainte!