Ivor Brown, a well-known British Journalist, once said: “Scotch Whisky keeps a secret – the magic of its homeland”. We talk to Ruedi Klauser, passionate whisky connoisseur, member of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society and board member of Experfina AG.
Mr. Klauser, you are a passionate whisky lover and therefore a member of the well-known and exclusive circle of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. Could you give us some details about the Society?
Yes, but first, I have to elaborate a little bit: the most frequently consumed whisky is a blend, which is a mixture of different whiskies. The higher class is a Pure Malt Whisky, but still has a consistent blend and taste. Single Malt Whisky – another category – originates from one single distillery. Then, Single Cask Whiskies are even more exclusive, as they are taken from a single cask and are therefore limited in quantity – usually between 200 and 500 bottles.
When a cask is opened, the whisky has an alcohol level of 50-65 degrees, depending on its age, so it has to be diluted with water to reach the standard 40-45 degrees. During this process, a cloudiness occurs, due to tiny floating particles in the liquid and residues from the distillation.
And this is where the Scotch Malt Whisky Society comes into play: They purchase whole casks from distilleries and bottle them in cask strength without filtering or dilution. The members of the Society do not focus on strength alone, but add water to each Dram (glass) individually, thus making up the ideal individual drinking strength. This often results in the cloudiness mentioned above, but the taste is more intensive and more varied, both in the nose and on the palate.
Each bottle of your Society is nearly identical on the outside and can only be distinguished by a number. This is partly due to the fact that the whiskies are bottled directly from individual casks, which means that each whisky is exceptional and only available in limited quantities. Can you recommend a particular number directly?
Since the distilleries fear competition from their own products, our Society may only sell to its own members and is required to number the bottles. The number 3.25, for instance would therefore be the 25th barrel for the Society of Distillery 3, in this case Bowmore’s.
The Tasting Panel in Edinburgh writes up a detailed description for each cask, some of which have become legendary in their absurdity. There, you will find flavour descriptions such as: “pipe tobacco in an old wooden case” or “the taste of hotwater bottles”. If you ask me about my favourite whiskies, these would be peaty and heavily peated whiskies from the Isle of Islay. There you will find Laphroaig, a Lagavulin or a Caol Ila, No. 53 for instance.
Unfortunately, travel is currently restricted again. But a trip to the land of whiskies – to Scotland – is really recommendable. There are so many beautiful small distilleries to visit in combination with small round trips. The Isle of Islay off the west coast of Scotland is one of these jewels.
The island is definitely worth a trip. The currently 9 active distilleries all offer tours and have visitor centres with a café and a shop. The old and classic style is therefore a little bit passé. The beauty lies more in the location by the sea. Of course, we must not forget that these companies generate annual sales of twenty or more millions. The competitive pressure on these manufacturers is therefore enormous. There is always a strong need to outbid each other with new creations. Instead of letting a sherry cask mature the whisky, for instance, it can be placed in a wine cask from Gaja. High-end whiskies, much like expensive watches, are heavily dependent on a sophisticated marketing strategy.
On the Isle of Islay, I can warmly recommend an overnight stay in Port Charlotte or Bowmore. While in the area, definitely go and visit the Isle of Jura – where George Orwell, wrote “1984” -with a popular whisky carrying the islands name. On the way to Islay, there is the island of Arran, also known as miniture Scotland – a wonderful destination with a well-developed tourist infrastructure. It also has a distillery with a guided tour and a shop. Further to the north, I can warmly recommend the Isle of Skye. The landscape is spectacular and the distillery to mention here, is Talisker.
My next trip will once again take me to the Outer Hebrides, where I plan to travel the whole chain of islands from Lewis and Harris all the way to South Uist. Apart from the austere landscape and beautiful beaches, there is also a distillery, that has been producing gin since 2015, while waiting for their whisky to mature. You see, Scotland is always worth a visit!
Only a few more weeks and then it is Christmas. Can you recommend a whisky that you particularly appreciate and would recommend as a gift?
I personally like to give away fruity, well-balanced, slightly sweet whisky, even though I personally largely prefer to drink peaty whisky. The Society offers its own colour scale – from light to dark- my personal favourites are in the area of dark green.
December 01, 2020
