"single malt" news and stories

The whisky world has been chattering like mad about designer and researcher James Gilpin's student project -- showcased at London's Royal College of Art's Show 2010, Design Interactions -- which turns the sugar-rich urine of diabetics into a high-end single malt whisky.

The inspiration for Gilpin Family Whisky came from his own life as a type 1 diabetic. His type 2 diabetic grandmother was his first candidate. His project states, "Old people's urine becomes an exportable whisky of high economic value." Large amounts of sugar are excreted on a daily basis by type 2 diabetic patients, especially among older people, and Gilpin thinks we should consider using that sugar creatively.

Reason #3,493,802 why I love the internets, from the Foodzie info page for Luca Chocolate's Bacon Box:

This box started from a special request from a blogger for something with bacon and chocolate. I knew the marriage of the two flavors (sweet and salty) would be delicious! I crafted two different bacon and chocolate truffles, both of which you will find in this box.

And #3,493,803 from BonBonBar's Foodzie page:

The combination of Single Malt Scotch and Dark Chocolate is one of the more special sensations in the confectionery world. From the first taste to the seductive aftertaste, new and complex flavors emerge that seem to enhance both the Scotch and the chocolate. Our Scotch Bar rounds out the experience with chewy caramel and delicate flakes of Maldon Sea Salt. We use Talisker 1992 Distillers Edition Single Malt Scotch, from the Isle of Skye. It was transferred from traditional bourbon oak into amoroso sherry casks to finish its maturation.

And what is this magical Foodzie, this bringer of joy and seemingly hallucinatory foodstuffs? It's an online market for small artisanal food producers, and seemingly a win-win for both the vendors and customers. Because there's little overhead involved, the makers earn roughly double what they would on a traditional in-store sale, and the savings are passed on to customers -- who also have the benefit of one-stop shopping for some pretty appealing foodstuffs that might not otherwise find on their local stores' shelves.

All products are personally tested and vetted by the site's founders, three food-loving friends who met at Virginia Tech and went on to found the company in North Carolina. Their current roster includes thirty vendors of meat, cheese, coffee, tea, and many other edible goodies including plenty more of those whack-a-doodle chocolate constructs all the kids are so wacky about these days.

If you'll pardon me, I'll be off to stick my face into an Appalachian Wedge.

[via: Foodzie]

An American who began collecting Glenfiddich whisky after seeing it being served at the the wedding of Princes Charles and Diana in 1981 has purchased the world's oldest single malt whisky. He brought it at an auction for more than £11,400.

The bottle of Glenfiddich was distilled in 1937, fetched $20,0000, about £11,400, during the sale in New York.  The bidding at the Scotland Village in Grand Central Station began at $5,000 and rose in $1,000 steps before Mr Weiss, a computer software director, entered the fray at $19,000 and put forward his $20,000 offer.

It was bottled in 2001 after the distillers found it had the requisite amount of alcohol - 40% abv - needed for a single malt.

Sister weblog Luxist was at the auction.

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With St. Patrick's Day looming up ahead of us it's time to think - not about corned beef and cabbage and beer, which combined has always struck me as a gastric disaster waiting to happen - but rather about the real Irish diet, which is, of course, whiskey and a dash of water.

Everywhere I go I encounter confusion amongst the good and drunk people of this country as to what is the difference between Irish whiskey and "regular" whiskey. They also don't seem to know that bourbon is a whiskey, and yet whiskey is not always bourbon. And, here's an interesting one, Jack Daniels is NOT bourbon, because it's made in Tennessee. So I thought before you go embarrassing yourself in front of all those fireman and police at the bar this Friday, I'd share my encyclopedic knowledge of the subject.

Let's start with Scotch, just to get it out of the way. Coming as it does from Scotland, it's distilled from "malt" (sprouted barley, dried in a drum) and flavored with burnt peat moss as part of its distilling process, which since that moss is not to be found elsewhere makes Scotch its distinctive smoky self. 

 

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In a feature in the business section of the Oregonian today about the popularity of high-end spirits, the writer of the story suggested that one's Christmas list might include "A bottle of Bushmills 16-year Single Malt for the boss." Other gifts so popular they've been stripped from the shelves in OLCC stores: Kahlua coffee liqueur, McCarthy's Oregon Single Malt whiskey and Hennessey VS cognac. For the lush in cash as well as liquor, Hardy Perfection Cognac Air or Courvoisier L'Esprit sell for around $5 or $6K each (in Oregon, one bottle of the Hardy and 15 of the Courvoisier have been sold in the past year).

While I've never given a gift of spirits, I can see the appeal. It's luxurious, it's thoughtful, and a gift of good liqueur can really show off your expensive tastes. Problematic, though, is the commodity characteristic: there's one price for liquor in most states, so everyone will know exactly what you spent. Local bartenders suggest Shakers Rye vodka, William LaRue Weller uncut, unfiltered bourbon and Hangar One Fraster River Raspberry vodka. My husband's buddy, who's in a pirate band (??), recommends the Sailor Jerry's rum pictured. What do you recommend for spirited gifts this year?

[photo Sarah Gilbert]