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EAT&DRINK
Scotch tryst
Whisky distillers are hoping to widen the appeal of their spirits by presenting them as moden mixer components. Barry Shelby reports.
alk whisky and the
discussion is bound to be
dominated by opinions on single malt varieties: Highland or lsland‘.’ Peaty or sweet'.> There is a whiff of anorak to it all.
But blends of Scotch are generally immune to such scrutiny and are by far the best selling whiskies made in Scotland. Distilleries are today recasting the liquor as modem and stylish. as well as perhaps even a bit sexy. to capture a younger market.
The Easy Drinking Whisky Company has been on the hip tip since beginning a year and a half ago. Started by three blokes — John. Mark and Robbo — the independent Perthshire firm sells three blends. The names of the whiskies reflect what you get: the Rich Spicy One. the Smoky Peaty One or the recently rcblended Smooth Sweeter One. which now contains a mix of Cooley‘s single Irish malt and Bunnahabhain Scottish single malt — a Celtic first in whisky marriages.
For all of the fun-loving attitude towards whisky — enjoy. don‘t analyse. is the basic message — these guys are not novices. About the innovative mix of Scottish and Irish malts. David ‘Robbo‘ Robertson (who was once master blender with the Macallan) says: ‘The nose is fruity with lemons and green apples. hints of vanilla pod and coconut.‘ Sorry. smells of vanilla pod?
William Grant & Sons is one of the long—standing and most sober-
minded distillers in the country. But '
the company’s latest project.
Monkey Shoulder. is distinctly ‘
cheeky. This Scotch is a blend of
just three Speyside malts — some blends combine over 30 different whiskies - and is created in small batches. The curious name. according to the makers. comes from a once common injury
suffered ‘many years ago” by malt men who turned the malted barley .
manually using a wooden shovel. Like the Easy Drinking whiskies.
THE MAKERS DON'T WANT TO SEEM PRECIOUS ABOUT HOW YOU
DRINK THEIR PRODUCT
it is distinctively packaged: a stout bottle with a cork stopper and three monkeys affixed to the ‘shoulder’ of
the bottle. And the makers don't
want to seem precious about their
product. either: drink it neat. on ice
or mixed in a cocktail (see panel). Not to be left out or undone. the
venerable J&B —— a traditional
favourite among America's country
club set — has plans to issue ‘a
classic for a new generation‘ this summer. Called J&B's —6°C. the blend is extraordinary clear and is
essentially a pale straw colour. It is meant to appeal to those put off by fuller flavoured whiskies. Hmm. isn’t that why man created vodka? The clinical sounding name apparently comes from the ‘chill filtering’ of the blend. although why
that should attract the next era of
whisky drinkers is not clear.
So. how do they stack up? 1&8 —6°C has a nose that is subtle. with hints of raw spirit among more familiar whisky tones. The producers say the flavour is ‘reminiscent of pears and apples'. Others may find it to be the vodka of whiskies. which is no bad thing. necessarily. Clean and dry. with some lingering warmth in the tail.
Certainly. the Smooth Sweeter One should appeal to those who don't like a full-on single malt. It goes down easily. although some may not taste all the elements that are apparently there: coconut. hints of spice. vanilla (pods or otherwise) and a ‘late sherbet lemon tang'. A good. solid malt blend. however.
Monkey Shoulder is the most robust. in colouring and flavour. This ‘triple malt’ comes closest to the aroma and taste of single malt. possibly because it contains none of the grain whisky (made from wheat or maize) that is often added to blends such as or Bell's. One wonders if you could recreate something similar by combining three of your favourite Speyside brands. Gtxxl for mixing.
Monkey Mac A twist on a classic. Pour three parts Monkey Shoulder and one part ginger wine into a rocks glass. Add a teaspoon of malt syrup and stir. Fill with ice and stir again. Garnish with a twist of lemon.
Runnymede
Fill a rocks glass with ice. Pour in coke until two-thirds full before gently adding a generous measure of Monkey Shoulder on top. Take a healthy hit and savour the first strong sip. Note that whisky has a different viscosity than other spirits and will remain afloat on the coke until stirred.
Monkey Jake
A juicy afternoon tipple. Put three parts Monkey Shoulder, one part wheat grass juice into a shaker with 10ml lemon juice and a splash of gamma (sugar) syrup. Muddle a white sugar cube and a stick of lemongrass, add ice. shake and double strain into a martini glass. Garnish with thin strips of lemongrass.
I For more recipes, log onto www. monkeys/ioulder. com
9-23 Jun 2005 THE LIST 1 15