We swear that we did not put two heavy hitters side by side on purpose but here we are and what better why to deal with all those pretentious nerds on the Wednesday beer o’clock call then by drinking this right in front of them and telling them all what you think of this beer. We will be there will you?
Brewery: Driftwood
Name: Abyssus Kriek 2021
Untapped: https://untappd.com/b/driftwood-brewery-abyssus-kriek-2021/4497322
ABV: 11.5
Type: Sour
Welcome to day 2 now that we have had our fun today we present to you a nice simple daily drinker or at least we think so. This 12 year old whisky is lovely and light but also has a little voice of its own its a little hard to find in our neighbourhood but the 16 is singularly prices and similar in taste so we linked it below. We hope you enjoy
Country: Scottland
Age: 12 years
ABV: 40%
John Dewar & Sons was typical of many of the blending firms which were founded in the 19th century. Dewar himself, though born in humble surroundings in a croft at Shenvail, became a wine merchant in Perth and by the middle of the century had started to blend whisky. It was however his sons, John Jr and Thomas (always known as Tommy), who made the family firm a globally recognised name.
In the 1890s, they decided to go into whisky production and built a distillery at Aberfeldy, only two miles from where their father had been born. The site had originally been a brewery and some distillation had taken place in the early part of the century. Fed by the Pitilie Burn [where gold is still panned] Aberfeldy became the malt at the heart of the firm’s blends. A private railway line linked the plant with the firm’s operational hub in Perth.
Dewar’s joined DCL in 1925 and in 1973 the Aberfeldy site doubled in capacity to its present size. It changed ownership in 1998, when the UK Monopolies Board forced the newly formed Diageo to offload one of its brands and attendant capacity. The Dewar’s estate [the blends, plus Aberfeldy, Aultmore, Craigellachie and Royal Brackla] were bought for £1.1bn by Bacardi-Martini.
The new owners invested heavily in a highly impressive educational facility – Dewar’s World of Whisky – which tells the story of the house of Dewar – and blending.
In more recent times, Aberfeldy has been sold in small quantities as single malt and in 2014 was repackaged. A new, permanent, five-strong range is to be created.
Tasting NotesNose: Creamy. Some sherried fruit with a trailing hint of smoke. Prune, custard and espresso bean
Taste: Sweet, malty, a gentle peat but nonetheless the mouth feel is very clean. Vanilla, peaches in cream and subtle oak
Finish: Ginger, malt, nutty nougat and maybe a little grapefruit zest
Day 2 don’t let this little bottle lull you in to a false sense of anything this is a firecracker in a bottle. If you haven’t had beer from Sori your in for some good stuff. Sori is a Brewery out of Tallinn, Harjumaa Estonia whose motto is Serious Beer for not so serious people and at 11.5 this little bottle will attempt to knock you flat and might just succeed.
Brewery: Sori
Name: Pareto
Untapped: https://untappd.com/b/ile-sauvage-brewing-company-feu-vert/3174412
ABV: 11.5
Type: Scotch Ale
Day 1. As those of you that have been on this journey can attest i like to have some fun in the calendar and especially with day 1 and when we encountered today’s dram we knew it needed to be first. While not strictly a whisky as we don’t know the exact age statement we are relatively certain that its less than 3 years old. But it is peated and it is a bourbon so we feel it fits well into the line up and although young it is still fun. We hope you enjoy and will see you tomorrow
Country: USA
Age: NAS
ABV: 45%
Kings County Distillery is New York City’s premier craft distillery and among the most acclaimed small distilleries in the United States. Focused exclusively on whiskeys, Kings County has made a name for its Bourbon, Peated Bourbon, Empire Rye and other creative whiskeys. We only distill whiskey for our label and we never sell whiskey made from any other source.
Kings County’s whiskeys have won numerous awards from the American Distilling Institute, the American Craft Spirits Association, and the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and have been praised by the New York Times, the New Yorker, Whiskey Advocate and many other sources. Kings County’s whiskeys are always mashed, fermented, distilled, and aged onsite in Brooklyn.
First located in a 325 square-foot room in East Williamsburg, Kings County began as the smallest commercial distillery in the country, with five 24-liter stainless steel stills making whiskey seven days a week, 16 hours a day. In 2012, the distillery moved into the Paymaster Building in the historic Brooklyn Navy Yard, just steps from legendary site of the Brooklyn Whiskey Wars of the 1860s and the former distillery district of the waterfront.
Kings County blends distilling practices from a variety of cultures into creative whiskeys that remain traditional while defying convention, using Scottish copper pot stills, open fermentation, and local grains to make American whiskeys that expand the category. One of the preeminent craft distilleries in the United States, the American Distilling Institute named Kings County Distillery of the Year in 2016.
Tasting NotesNose: Briny wine, red fruit, smoked caramel, burnt honey, dried mangoes
Taste: Nail polish remover, sweet, Fudgey, honey, gluten free crackers
Finish: Light peat, distant peat, Sweet beach fire, Dark chocolate, more burnt honey
NA
Welcome to the first official whisky dev beer advent. To start things off to be clear we are going to be much less formal here it is beer. So other than a quick ramble and some light notes the real discussion will take place in #advent-calendar and or spill into #beer.
Now that the preamble is out of the way lest start things out. From one of my current favourite breweries we have some of their quickly sold out Feu Vert. A Barrel-Aged Golden Sour with Vancouver Island Kiwis, Lime Zest, and El Dorado Hops. Aged in Wine Barrels whats not to love. Well you can not love it but your probably wrong and this is tasty
Brewery: Ile Sauvage
Name: Feu Vert
Untapped: https://untappd.com/b/ile-sauvage-brewing-company-feu-vert/3174412
ABV: 5.3
Type: Sour
For those of you new to the journey we welcome you. For those of you returning welcome back. 2021 has been another long year COVID continues to kick our butts and we have missed out on many tastings together but there is a little light and things are getting better. While we continue to deal with life the WhiskyDev organisers have been hard at work purchasing amazing tastings that we so far have not been able to get at but you can benefit from in the future. For the upcoming month we have a nice collection of whisky and or beer for this month or whenever you chose to drink it we do home you enjoy.
But enough rambling. Before you you should have 3 whisky items (1x Tiny whisky glass, 1x wrapped Day 25 for your tree, & 1x very unassuming WhiskyDev branded box of deliciousness) or 4 beer items (1x Tiny whisky glass, 1x wrapped bottle of Day 25 for your tree, & 2x very unassuming boxs of deliciousness) . Here is a bit about it and what to do:
The Whisky Calendar
1.) The Glass — I feel that the glass is fairly self explanatory, but it can hold small amount of liquid; I might suggest whisky from your existing collection and/or some of the future drams. It is specially designed to make all your pours look super big. It probably should not be eaten but is much smaller than a regular glencairn and um… good luck!
2.) Day 25 is a present this year. We try to keep things new each year and this year is no exception. But its no fun looking early so we wrapped it up to hide its secrets on the 25th remove the wrapping and enjoy whisky Santa will know if you try to open it early.
3.) The big box of tasty whisky — As some of you can not be trusted every bottle is painstakingly filled and labelled with its individual day you will have to come here each day to find out what you’re drinking. All whiskies are in order if you open the box from the top you will see 1 thought 6 and then strangely right behind those are 7-12 and so on and so on.
The Beer calendar
1.) The Glass — What is a beer calendar without a beer glass. What better beer glass than one shaped like a beer can so that it can help remind you that tasty beer is on the horizon and it is stratigicallly designed with the whiskdydev logo to help promote your geekness anytime of the year
2.) Day 25 is a bottle as you can plainly see form the high quality wrapping job but much more than that you will half to wait untill the 25th. No peeking early *this note if for people you know who you are .
3&4.) 2 big boxes of tasty beer. We have laid them out in order as they appear on the top of the box but since some beer needs to be cooled and life is hard we will be revealing each beer at 20:00 on the evening before their release so that they can get that chill they deserve but do try to only crack in with the rest of us at midnight.
For those of you that are doing both steady yourself its a long hard road we did not make it easy on you but we will be right there with you. With the jibber jabber out of the way now we wait with baited breath for the clock to strike midnight and reveal our first day and with that the lively discussion once again on #advent-calender.
Regards,
WhiskyDev
Day 25 and we have reached the end. We hope you have enjoyed this adventure and will join us on a similar adventure next year. You will notice today’s whisky is slightly bigger it should allow you to deal with the rest of the day or if you feel the need/desire share some with those around you. Either way it’s good, this is a very holiday whisky, and although low it is cask strength. Our final dram comes to us by way of Caol ila and though peated to a very strong degree I hope any non peat-head can find some tastiness in this wonderful dram.
Country: Scotland
Age: 7 years
ABV: 47.5
Caol Ila’s distillery character manages to combine a fresh pear note, grassiness, a hint of juniper and distinct notes of the seashore – lobster shells, crab creels and gentle smoke. Although it receives the same spec of malt as sister distillery Lagavulin, Caol Ila’s distillation regime – longer fermentation, higher cut point, taller stills – helps to reduce the heavy phenols. Maturation for the single malt is in refill casks. The unpeated variant is equally delicate, with a fresh, estery and almost floral lift.
Its importance for blends meant that, until 2002, when a 12-year-old was released, malt lovers had to seek out independent bottlings. Now there is a range including no-age-statement Moch, 18-year-old and 25-year-old, a finished Distiller’s Edition and annual special releases.
It was in 1846 that Hector Henderson decided to build a small distillery in a tight bay next to Port Askaig, on Islay’s east coast. He named his venture Caol Ila, Gaelic for the Sound of Islay, the stretch of water which it overlooked.
In 1857 Henderson was bought out by blender Bulloch Lade, which improved the site by building a substantial pier. It was absorbed into DCL (now Diageo) in 1927 and ran continuously until 1972, when the old distillery was demolished and a new, significantly larger one was built with six stills rather than two. This transformed Caol Ila into Islay’s largest producer.
These were still the days before the single malt market had really taken off, and its make was destined for a huge array of blends across the whole whisky industry – most notably within its parent company, it filled requirements for Johnnie Walker.
When the downturn came in the 1980s, Caol Ila began running unpeated ‘Highland style’ for blends. Not only did it have capacity, but doing so allowed the distillery to stay open. Unpeated is still made every year, with volumes dependent on the forecasts of Diageo’s blending team.
In 2011, another major revamp took place with a new mash tun and more washbacks being installed, which resulted in capacity increasing to 6.5m litres per annum. During the silent period when contraction was taking place, Bunnahabhain made the peated requirements.
In 2018, Diageo revealed plans to spend £150m on upgrading tourism facilities, including a new brand home for Johnnie Walker in Edinburgh, and improved visitor centres at Caol Ila, plus Clynelish, Cardhu and Glenkinchie, representing regional styles present in Walker.
At Caol Ila, a new visitor centre will be created in the distillery warehouse, including a footbridge entry, new car parking and a bar with views across the Sound of Islay to Jura.
Tasting NotesNose: Breaded baked Chicken, Slightly smoky candied bacon, Seaside campfire, Early spring west coast trails, Musty spiders, Nail polish remover, Spicy smoked caramel
Taste: Fire roasted red peppers, Spice, Smoke, Bacon
Finish: Pepper corn salmon, Campfires and happiness, Must, Candied salmon
Day 24. The eve before Xmas. Especially in their Innovative series Two Brewers pushes the limits of tradition to make something they think would be fun. This whisky they made a stout without hops and then distilled it. This whisky is everything I love about whisky: you take something you love, you ramp it up to 11, you see what happens, and then you share it with friends. I love a good stout, I frequently push the limits of what one is, and I am sure to share some with friends. I hope you all enjoy this dram as much as I do.
Country: Canada
Age: 3 years
ABV: 46%
Take two lads in the Yukon, stick them on a canoe trip, and lo and behold, in 1997 a brewery was born. Now, making beer is a joyous thing, but in 2009 these two blokes decided to buy a still, apply their brewing knowhow and make whisky. Whisky made in small releases, with a variety of malted roasted grains, using different fermentation techniques and a mix of barrels. The goal is that no two releases are the same, so that as each expression emerges, it is layered and complex and probably never to be repeated.
Almost two decades since that canoe trip, Yukon Brewing and sister company Two Brewers continue to service the north with quality beer/spirits while keeping jobs and money in the territory. Actively involved in the local community, Yukon Brewing supports countless Yukon events and causes each year.
Tasting NotesNose: Roasty/caramelized banana, Hint of char/smoke, Inka or other coffee substitute spiked with bourbon, Chickory
Taste: Artificial vanilla, Tim hortons iced coffee
Finish: Mocha, Like vacuuming a really dirty carpet, Cold Brew, Irish cream, Coffee-mate (hazelnut)
NA
Day 23 another big name with largely polarized opinion about their unabashed use of colour. Dalmore makes whisky and colours it in the manner they feel is appropriate. Looking at today’s dram I think it looks lovely and tasty. Now close your eyes and sample it.
Country: Scotland
Age: NAS
ABV: 46.5%
The wash stills at Dalmore have flat tops, and are also in two sizes. Three are 13,000-litres in capacity, the fourth is double that. The spirit stills all sport water coolers around their necks to assist in reflux. Again, one of the quartet is double the size. Because of this discrepancy in size and the fact that the spirit stills are charged when the low wines and feints receiver is full, the strength of the charge to those stills varies, creating different end flavours. Though it seems random to an outsider, thankfully it is controlled by high experienced stillmen. All these distillates are vatted before being casked.
Condensing is also unusual. The spirit stills have external shell and tube condensers which lie horizontally. This mirrors the old worm pipe which lay in the burn which runs outside the stillhouse.
Ex-Sherry casks are the most commonly-used maturation vessel and unlike many distilleries, ex-solera casks soaked in oloroso and PX Sherry for decades are preferred over the oak-driven bespoke casks now common across the industry.
The northern distilleries seem to have a disproportionately high number of wealthy backers. Dalmore is typical of this. It was founded, in 1839, by Alexander Matheson who had made his fortune as a partner in Jardine Matheson the trading firm which took over from the East India Company and which, by that time, was controlling exports of opium trade into China.
The lease (and eventually ownership) was taken by the Mackenzie family in 1878 and it remained family-owned until 1960 when one of Dalmore’s main customers, Whyte & Mackay, took control. A significant contributor to W&M’s blends, for many years Dalmore’s presence in the world of single malt was restricted to a 12-year-old expression. In recent times however the range has expanded dramatically, with a core range of 12, 15, 18 and 25-years-old, plus no-age-statement specialities like King Alexander III, Cigar Malt, and an ever-growing selection of luxury expressions such as the 21-strong Constellation range (comprising vintages from 1964 to 1992) and 1951 ‘Sirius’. Prices at the top end regularly top five figures.
W&M itself has gone through a dizzying number of hands in recent times. Its current custodian is Emperador of the Philippines.
Tasting NotesNose: Plums, Hide, Raspberries, Maderia cask, Mincemeat
Taste: Dandelions, Artificial cherry candies, Grenadine, Spicy mustard, Vegetal, Musty
Finish: Firy Wood (but not lumber or cedar), Cherry cough syrup, Cinnamon hearts, Oat cakes, Stewed fruit
Tudor house
Day 22 I am a sucker for a good story and Angel’s Nectar was formed on one, read it below. Other than that there are some interesting hints out there about which distilleries might have gone into this blend and boy do they deliver. Let’s dig in.
Country: Scotland
Age: NAS
ABV: 46%
Inspired by the Angels’ share, the traditional name given to the whisky lost to evaporation during maturation, Angels’ Nectar is our collection of Blended Malt and Single Malt Scotch Whiskies, showcasing different styles of Scotch Whisky.
At any one time, there are an estimated twenty million whisky casks maturing across Scotland, all exposed to the full thirst of the Angels. The Angels take their pick; selfishly enjoying some casks more than others, whilst hard working distillers watch their efforts disappear. Imagine if you could join the Angels on their indulgence?
Angels’ Nectar is our ‘cut’ of the Angels’ Share, bottled for your enjoyment. The First Edition (also known as Original) of Angels’ Nectar has been carefully blended from a selection of the finest Speyside and Highland malt whiskies. The Rich Peat Edition, which oozes a welcoming smoke, is composed from Highland malts. The Islay Edition is a Single Malt dominated by a gentle island peat smoke. Our new Cairngorms Edition is a Single Cask Speyside Single Malt bottled in partnership with the Cairngorms Trust to support Environmental and Community projects in the Cairngorms National Park.
Tasting NotesNose: Potpourri, Sherry Butt, Strawberry
Taste: Sweet sharp Turkish tea, Caramel brownies, Fruit syrup, Strawberry wine
Finish: Wood, Chocolate, Walking in to a clearing where there was a campfire 4 days ago, Cinnamon, Vanilla
Tudor house liquor
