The Dram - Whisky Blog

I was out and about in Edinburgh last night and found a great pub. The New Town was never an area that I would go for nights out but recently I have found a treasure trove of pubs tucked away in this part of town. Kays Bar is the latest of these and would probably be described by an estate agent as "bijou". The whisky selection is respectable in size but what it lacks in volume it makes up for in variety. The Port Ellen jumped off the shelf but at £15 a dram I went for a very pleasant 18 year old Highland Park instead. A great wee pub that I will definitely be back to spend some time in.

I had started the evening at the Canny Mans on the other side of town and I'm beginning to wonder if it's worth the effort anymore. The selection in the CM is vast but you unfortunately have to speak to the staff to get served. The CM is a pub that splits opinion into the those that find it charming and idiosyncratic and those that think it's a pretentious pub with ideas above its station. Unfortunately the sarcastic bar manager doesn't help to swerve opinion away from the latter. I tried the Ardbeg Blasda (drier and saltier than the superior "Beastie") and was on my way.

Kays Bar Location
Canny Mans Location

Now is the time to get out and buy some whisky, with many shops and off licences knocking a bob or two off a range of malts. The best buy I've seen so far is in Sommerfields where the Glenlivet 12 year old has had £10 taken off meaning that a bottle can be yours for the bargain price of £15! If you're looking for something a bit more exotic then head to Waitrose and get a bottle of Caol Ila Distillers Edition. This wee beauty has had six months finishing in dark Moscatel barrels and is really rather good. The peat takes a while to emerge through the sweetness but this creates a pleasant and lasting finish. I can't remember the exact price beacuse the promotional man from Diageo was distracting me with the offer of free gifts and pretty pictures, but it's on special offer until the start of January.

Gelnlivet Distillery Location
Caol Ila Distillery Location

Ardbeg is a distillery that seems to be churning out bottlings like there is no tomorrow. Over the past few months I've happened across three different Ardbegs in different guises and can start to see why this Isaly distillery is deserving of its reputation.

To start with there is the Airigh Nam Beist (The Beastie). I'd love to give some detailed notes on this one but it was just too tasty and didn't last for long. Of course there is the characteristic west coast peatiness (as with all three) but it's much easier on the taste buds than the full blast that you get with the likes of a Laphroaig. It had a smoothness and roundess of flavour that made this a real winner.

Then there is the Uigeadail. If you believe Jim Murray then this is THE whisky to be drinking. In the 2009 edition of the whisky bible he rates this as the best whisky of the year. Usually I agree, but I just didn't think it was as an oustanding malt as he described or in fact the best from the Ardbeg stable. It certainly has a fiery peaty punch, but I didn't pick up on the perfect balance of flavours that Jim talks about. Of course, this is probably down to personal preference but I would recommend sampling some of the other Ardbegs before settling on this one.

And finally, a well known legend of the whisky world, although you won't find it listed on the Ardbeg website. The story of Serendipity is based on the tale that some well aged and very expensive Ardbeg was 'accidentally' blended with an inferior Glen Moray. Far from being a disaster, this blending blunder resulted in a delicious dram and hence how the whisky came by its name. Now, if your looking at purchasing a bottle then good luck. Most whisky shops are selling this for over £100, althought some online dealers are selling it for less. I bought a bottle over a year ago now which is now gathering dust and, hopefully, value. Now I know it's a travesty to just keep a bottle of whisky but my thinking is that I will sell it in a few years and you guessed it, buy more whisky! However, my local friendly Oddbins man tipped me off that a certain hostelry close by had a bottle open behind the bar. I duely wandered off to investigate and sure enough there it was. The barmaid warned me that it was £3.30 a nip, I feined shock and paid up. It is delicious stuff, lighter in colour than your regular Ardbeg but well balanced, smooth and smokey. As for the location of this pub, well I'm afraid that will just have to stay a secret.

Ardbeg Distillery Location