The Nicholson's Whisky Showcase
Our Whisky Showcase 2019 has now come to a close and for the third year running it has once again been an extremely popular and successful event. Thank you to all of you who joined us to sample our stunning collection of hand-picked world whiskies.
From whisky connoisseurs to first-timers, there were a wide range of flavours and styles for our guests to discover and explore to their heart's content.
We cannot wait to share our plans for an even bigger and better Whisky Showcase for 2020. Sign up to our newsletter today to be the first to hear all about our Whisky Showcase, as well as our other events and offers throughout the year.
MORE TO EXPLORE IN YOUR LOCAL NICHOLSON’S
Here at Nicholson’s, we’re incredibly proud of our whisky collection and we're always on the lookout for the finest whiskies that the world has to offer. So, whether you like yours rich and fruity, delicate or light, with hints of caramel, or even maritime and smoky… at Nicholson’s you can be sure to find the best collection of big, bold and full-flavoured whiskies, as well as softer, more delicate drams — should you wish of course.
This year, we added three brand-new whiskies to our extensive line-up especially for our 2019 Whisky Showcase:
The Sexton Single Malt • 40%
Originating from Bushmills in Northern Ireland, this single malt is rich in hue and bold in taste, with bold, dried fruits and memorable toasted oak notes.
GLENFIDDICH FIRE & CANE • 43%
This single malt Scotch whisky is like a Highland peat campfire, with oak notes and toffee. Originating from Speyside, Scotland it carries aromas of sharp green fruit, sweet baked apple and soft smoke.
GENTLEMAN JACK • 40%
All the way from Tennessee, this sweet premium whiskey is from the Jack Daniel’s family of brands. It’s double mellowed, before and after the ageing process, resulting in a cleaner, more refined end product.
FLAVOUR PROFILES
A sweet treat for the taste buds, these whiskies offer the soft notes of rich toffee, creamy vanilla and honey in a glass.
• Glenfiddich Fire & Cane
• Auchentoshan 12 Year Old
• Haig Clubman
• Maker’s Mark
• Gentleman Jack
Ripe with fruitiness, these whiskies can be as zesty as lemons, mellow like autumn berries or rich like a plump fruitcake.
• Copper Dog
• The Sexton Single Malt
• Glenfiddich 12 Year Old
• The Balvenie 12 Year Old Doublewood
• Glen Grant 10 Year Old
From warming cinnamon and ginger to the bold intensity of chilli pepper, these whiskies offer an array of spicy flavours.
• Johnnie Walker Red Label
• Singleton of Dufftown Spey Cascade
• Bulleit Bourbon
• Woodford Reserve
These whiskies capture the smokiness of peat fires, hot coals and sea spray for bold flavours. Once tasted, never forgotten.
• Johnnie Walker Black Label
• Talisker 10 Year Old
• Laphroaig 10 Year Old
• Lagavulin 16 Year Old
• Highland Park 12 Year Old
Glenfiddich Virtual Tour
Take a journey into the mind of the malt master with our interactive video, which showcases the Glenfiddich Whisky Distillery in Scotland.
You’ll be guided through the distillery and given insight into how Glenfiddich make their award winning single malt Scotch whiskies.
The world of whisky is a wonderful place, from the subtle to the complex, there are a plethora of styles and flavours to suit every palate – from the whisky beginner to the connoisseur. Join us on our journey to showcase our whiskies and guide you through the best ways to drink them, taste them and enjoy them.
WHISKY KNOW IT ALL
If you're not a whisky connoisseur don’t fear, here are some facts to make sure you never feel like a novice again.
- The export of whisky generates a healthy £125 per second. That’s just under 38 bottles of whisky being exported from Scotland every second.
- Laid end to end, the 99 million cases of whisky exported each year would span the distance between Edinburgh and New York – six times.
- Scotland is home to more than 20 million casks of maturing whisky. That’s almost four for every person living there.
- Whisky accounts for about a quarter of UK food and drink exports.
- To be Scotch whisky, the spirit must mature in oak casks in Scotland for at least three years.
- 115 distilleries are licensed to produce whisky in Scotland.
THE WAY TO DRINK WHISKY
Put simply, you can drink whisky however you please. A whisky purist would recommend two cubes of ice or a dash of water. But it’s more important to drink it the way you enjoy it most. Be it neat or with ice, water, cola, Irn-Bru – it’s totally up to you. You can even drink it standing on one leg if you like. Just make sure you haven't had too many first.
THE WHISKY PROCESS
INTRODUCTION
The principles for the distillation of whisky have changed little over the last 200 years. And despite technological advances, producing it is still a real art. Generations continue to pass on their skills, knowledge and wisdoms – one of which is, it can’t be rushed. Maturing helps give whisky its unique characteristics, flavour and colour, and the longer it matures for, often the better the quality.
Malting
It all starts by soaking the barley grain, which turns its starch reserves into fermentable sugars to make alcohol. To halt the process, the grain is dried. If peat is used at this stage, a distinctive smoky character makes its way into the finished whisky.
Mashing
The grains are then milled into a coarse flour known as grist, before being mixed with hot water in a mash tun to extract the sugars produced during the malting process. The end result is a sugary liquid called ‘wort’.
Fermenting
Yeast is added to the wort, which consumes the sugar and produces alcohol, heat and carbon dioxide. This turns the sweet wort into an alcoholic distiller’s beer, or ‘wash’, of around 7 – 10% ABV.
Distilling
The wash is then distilled in a traditional pot still. The still is heated, causing the alcohol to evaporate into steam, which gets condensed back into a liquid with a higher level of alcohol. The end result is a clear ‘new make spirit’ at around 70 – 80% ABV.
Ageing
The new make spirit is placed in wooden casks to mature. In Scotland, it must remain in a cask for a minimum of three years before it can legally be referred to as ‘Scotch whisky’. It’s often left for much longer to take on the colour and flavour of the wood, which helps create the unique, complex characteristics.
Bottling
When the Master Blender is happy with the flavour profile, the whisky is bottled. The label specifies the distillery where it was produced and, in some cases, how long it was matured for. If an age is given, it represents the youngest cask that was used to produce it. So a 10-year-old single malt will often contain some whisky that was aged for longer.
THE REGIONAL DIFFERENCES
INTRODUCTION
Scotland’s whisky-producing regions are as diverse as the wine regions of France.
They give us single malt whiskies with distinct qualities and characteristics borne out of their location, climate and hundreds of years of crafting.
Lowlands
Light & Fresh
The softer landscape is mirrored in the region’s single malts, which tend to be lighter in both colour and body than those of the Highlands. With little or no peat used in the drying of the malt, the whiskies distilled here are generally fresh and light, fragrant and vourings.
Islands (Islay & Skye)
Peaty & Maritime
The Islands malts are unmistakably powerful and bursvour, from the recognised smokiness apparent in almost all offerings, to the more surprising notes, such as the black pepper found in Talisker.
Highlands
Smooth & Floral
Scotland’s largest whisky region boasts many different styles, from rich and textured to al. The large landscape of coastline, moor and mountain make many of these whiskies unique. From the coastal smoky Oban to the central honey notes of Dalwhinnie.
Speyside
Fruity & Delicate
With its ‘Golden Triangle’ of distilleries - its clasvours of honey, vanilla and fresh fruits (apples, pears) combine to create whiskies that are both sophisticated and elegant. With age, and especially when matured in sherry casks, they evolve to deliver dried fruit and swvours.
SCOTLAND vs THE WORLD
We’re proud of our unique, distinct, and travelled selection of speciality Scottish and World Whiskies. To this end, we’re rather confident that you’ll be feeling spoilt for choice with our large collection of UK and global drams on offer — highlights for 2019, include the likes of Glenfiddich Fire & Cane, The Sexton Single Malt, and Gentleman Jack.
Immerse yourself in the experience with our tasting events and workshops, which will allow you to explore and discover a range of both classic and lesser-known whisky brands. Head on down to your local Nicholson's during this year’s showcase and prepare to enter into a whole new world of whisky!
