Whisky in History — Circa 1900
Whisky in History — 1901-1919
Whisky in History — 1920-1929
Whisky in History — 1930-1939
Whisky in History — 1940-1944
Whisky in History — 1945-1949

Cigars in History — Circa 1900
Cigars in History — 1901-1919
Cigars in History — 1920-1929
Cigars in History — 1930-1939
Cigars in History — 1940-1944
Cigars in History — 1945-1949

All images © 2010 See Your World LLC. All Rights Reserved

This is an open invite to a story telling event with the Glenfiddich brand ambassador, Jamie Milne on July 15th in London.  Each month we hold a story telling event called Campfire in our own studio in north London, called the Lighthouse. So far this year we have played host to a number of different people, from Dr Barry Gibb, originally a molecular biologist and neuroscientist before leaving academic research to eventually become Science Multimedia Editor at The Wellcome Trust, through to Agents of Change a group of renegade artists who’s art is in changing space itself.

This time around, Thursday July 15th, as mentioned, we have Jamie Milne, brand ambassador for Glenfiddich in the UK and as you can imagine, a passionate whisky lover. We thought you may be interested in coming down to the Campfire event where Jamie will talk on how he went from an aeronautical engineering degree to travelling the UK helping people learn about whisky on behalf of the worlds most popular single malt.

There will be (some) samples, food, and generally a good evening to be had by all. A short video introduction we did with Jamie is on our video channel here:

http://www.ditto.tv/campfire/category/storyteller/jamie-milne-storyteller/

The event will start at around 7:30 with people taking their seats around 8 for the experience, there is no need for a ticket or to book, only to come down with a relaxed attitude with the intention of meeting some interesting people and having some fun.

The address of our studio is: The Lighthouse, Canonbury Yard, 190 New North Road, London N1 7BJ – just around the corner from the New North Star pub.

From this Sunday’s Vancouver Province:

Scotch whisky was on the rocks.

It was seen as an old man’s drink, a last liquid refuge for unhip ancients slurring Johnny Mercer tunes in stubble and dressing gowns.

That was several years back. Today, Scotch’s image is cool and its sales are hot. Reports say the chunks of the global population that can afford it are falling over themselves to order double neats, Rusty Nails, Rob Roys and Blood and Sands.

Thanks to canny marketing by Celtic distillers, Scotch has made mass conversions among two key drinking groups: young people of both genders in mature markets such as Canada, and newly affluent imbibers in developing nations.

As this Scotched-earth campaign intensifies, the Lower Mainland is being invaded by whisky distillers old and young. “Vancouver definitely has an affinity for Scotch,” says Trevor Kallies, bar-and-beverage director with Donnelly Hospitality Management. “We’ve hosted two whisky tasting dinners and both sold out within a few days.”

Independent Scottish distiller William Grant & Sons makes Glenfiddich, already the world’s best-selling single malt. Now, the 123-year-old company is mounting a local push for its blended Scotch.

This week, Vancouver will be visited by a soft-spoken youth with the grand title of global brand ambassador for Grant’s Blended Scotch whisky. Ludo Ducrocq, 30, is making the ambassadorial trip from his home in the Highlands to convince local tastemakers of the pleasures of blends.

“Scotch whisky has heritage and credibility,” Ducrocq says over the phone from Scotland.

“When they have a choice of different drinks, people increasingly choose Scotch because they see it as more sophisticated.”

Grant sells Scotch in 180 countries but Canada sits in its top 10.

B.C. is the second largest market, by volume, after Ontario, he says.

Ducrocq, who is originally from France, personifies how Scotch is making inroads into global turf perhaps not traditionally regarded as whisky-loving.

He knows full well he has one of the world’s most enviable jobs.

“It gives me access to rare and extraordinary whiskies I could only have dreamt of tasting when I was just starting out in the industry.”

Shelter Point Distillery is a Vancouver Island outfit keen to pour itself down local whisky drinkers’ throats. Run from a farm between Campbell River and Courtenay, it is a young and tiny Turk in a market full of enormous old masters.

Formed in 2006, Shelter Point is a boutique distiller barely older than the three years whisky must be aged to be called a Scotch — and as the Scots control the name, distillate can only be called Scotch if it’s made in Scotland.

Shelter Point, which hopes to begin barrelling product in September, is several years away from marketing its envisioned single malt — though it may have a cream liqueur, and a raspberry-based drink ready later this year.

Jay Oddleifson, Shelter Point’s managing director and co-owner, says people move from disbelief to enthusiasm when they hear about a B.C.-based whisky distillery. “I used to get ‘What? No, really? Are you sure? Wow, that’s great,’” he says.

Shelter Point will be too small to go head-to-head with the marketing muscle of global distillers, says Oddleifson, a chartered account who is former chief financial officer of Mount Washington Alpine Resort.

“We’ll complement the range of whiskies available. We’ll compete by being small, special, different, local,” he says. “We’re not looking for world domination. Maybe [Vancouver] Island domination.”

Shelter Point has a few key assets that might make the majors sit up and take note. One is that it grows its own barley on site. Another is the guidance of Mike Nicolson, former master distiller with the Lagavulin distillery in Scotland.

How will Shelter Point whisky taste? Oddleifson predicts it won’t be as pungent as Lagavulin single malt but neither will it be a malted barley wuss. “We’re not going to be a peat monster and we’re not going to be a light, delicate floral spirit,” he says.

“I’m guessing we’ll be in the middle. We have that journey of discovery ahead of us.”

Back in Vancouver, Kallies is watching Scotch grow in popularity among men and women as post-Boomer generations age. “People get older and their palates get more refined,” he says. “You look for flavours that are intriguing and complex. Scotch definitely hits that mark.”

And what does Kallies drink in the privacy of his own home?

“I like all kinds of alcohol but I’ve got an embarrassingly large Scotch collection,” the 29 year old says.

“My mom comes over to the house and says ‘When did you start drinking that?’”

You can find another (older) article on Shelter Point from the Vancouver papers here.

Whisky in History — Circa 1900
Whisky in History — 1901-1919
Whisky in History — 1920-1929
Whisky in History — 1930-1939
Whisky in History — 1940-1944

Cigars in History — Circa 1900
Cigars in History — 1901-1919
Cigars in History — 1920-1929
Cigars in History — 1930-1939
Cigars in History — 1940-1944

All images © 2010 See Your World LLC. All Rights Reserved

Whisky in History — Circa 1900
Whisky in History — 1901-1919
Whisky in History — 1920-1929
Whisky in History — 1930-1939

Cigars in History — Circa 1900
Cigars in History — 1901-1919
Cigars in History — 1920-1929
Cigars in History — 1930-1939

All images © 2010 See Your World LLC. All Rights Reserved

Despite the classy packaging with a crown shaped bottle and often wrapped in a richly purple velvet bag, Crown Royal has admittedly lost some of its high class image over the years. Today, the classy image that Crown Royal cultivates in its packaging and advertising feels very phony. The truth seems to be a 3,400,000 litre cash cow in a very marketable glass container. Of course this means nothing when it comes to the actual quality of the product in the bottle. Crown Royal the whisky has some very admirable qualities and is quite authentic relative to its image. It is not rich and luxurious in taste, but does have a smooth, butterscotch scented profile with a nice kick at the end that marks it as authentic Canadian Rye. There is no hint of the bland apple or chemical flavours often found in cheap whisky.

At the bar, Crown Royal sits beside bottles of Canadian Club, Seagram’s and Wiser’s Deluxe as the whiskies most frequently blended with cheap cola. These drinks are intended as a vessel for inebriation and although they lead to enjoyment that is not why most drinkers order them. I actually don’t necessarily have a problem with someone getting drunk from whisky at a bar. The problem is the notion that a decent product like Crown Royal is in a bar well a step removed from generic vodka in a plastic bottle with a built-in handle.  Now that I have a background tasting many whiskies from the British Isles, I believe that Canadians are indeed making some very serious whisky and that we need to start respecting our home grown Ryes a little bit more. Crown Royal has value beyond a session whisky.

Whisky in History — Circa 1900
Whisky in History — 1901-1919
Whisky in History — 1920-1929

Cigars in History — Circa 1900
Cigars in History — 1901-1919
Cigars in History — 1920-1929

All images © 2010 See Your World LLC. All Rights Reserved

The nose begins with a punch of apple, perhaps more (salted) caramel apple, with the characteristic honey and heather notes trailing.  There is a sour milk undertone, hiding behind a light soapiness, and balanced off with a hint of pepper.  The whisky is light on the palate, with more salted caramel, as well as the addition of an almond taste similar to maraschino cherries.  The Aberlour 12 has a bitter charcoal finish, staying in the mouth for long after the last sip.  All in all, a great every day dram, with enough complexity to enjoy time after time.

Whisky in History — Circa 1900
Whisky in History — 1901-1919

Cigars in History — Circa 1900
Cigars in History — 1901-1919

All images © 2010 See Your World LLC. All Rights Reserved