Richard Paterson » Master Blending

Latest Shackleton South Pole Whisky pic is biggest tease yet

Richard Paterson — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 07:03:10 +0000

Just look at that! Hello beautiful!

Of course we’ll have to wait and see what the implications are for the bottle being on the side like that – has the whisky reached the cork and perhaps partially eroded it? Has the ice and water got inside the whisky?

Such mysteries still to find out!

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Whisky giveaway/competition for National Scotch Day

Richard Paterson — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:55:58 +0000

Apparently – though no one told the Scots – it’s National Scotch Day. Now it would be a bit miserable of me not to celebrate that by doing something to celebrate so this is a headsup that over on their facebook page, Jura whisky is giving away a bottle of 10 year old and 16 year old in return for some links and I don’t mean sausages.

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The latest on the South Pole Shackleton whisky…

Richard Paterson — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 06:20:53 +0000

While I’ve been away in the US, there’s been some developments with the Shackleton Whisky as the links below will tell you:

Towards zero – defrosting the whisky to zero degrees
A new home for Shackleton whisky
Visitors come from far and wide to see the Shackleton Whisky, including a Whyte & Mackay employee (but not the one you expect)

And of course I spoke about it on the latest episode (no. 271) of the Whiskycast as well.

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Tips and advice on how pubs & bars can use social media for #totc

Richard Paterson — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 13:18:39 +0000

I’m heading along to a Tales of the Cocktail chat about using social media. Now, I mentioned this to Craig McGill, who as the Creative Guy at Contently Managed, said he would give me some pointers that I could pass out to others.

Well, he’s gone and written a fairly comprehensive blog post about using Twitter, Facebook, email, podcasts, YouTube and other forms of web 2.0 to increase audiences and profits for pubs and hotels.

He’s also giving away a bottle of 22 year old Whyte & Mackay whisky (and he’s placed the video of the tasting notes in the post), which may be another incentive to head over and read the post.

I hope it’s of use to some and of interest to others. Now I’m away to see if there’s any tips for getting my Twitter following to 100,000!

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The Shackleton South Pole Whisky now in New Zealand – whisky off the rocks

Richard Paterson — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 10:54:47 +0000

There’s been interest in this since last year when I mentioned it the Shackleton whisky in a podcast (iTunes link, non iTunes link), a video and a blog post. People have been asking me constantly “when will Shackleton’s whisky be available? What’s the latest? Is it off the South Pole yet? How much for a bottle?”

And now I can answer at least part of that because the whisky is now off the South Pole with pictures and video…

Click here to view the embedded video.

There’s a press release attached to this link and a blog has also been set up – which has up to the date information (and the IT types have put a feed in at the side of the page as well for it I’m told).

There’s also some brand new video footage here and here (sorry I can’t embed them).

So what’s new?

One of the crates – weighing 50 kilos! – has been removed and placed carefully in a cool room, which has been specially constructed at Canterbury Museum, Christchurch, New Zealand. Now, they’ve done this quite clever in a way that allows the public to see first-hand the process as conservators firstly raise the temperature in a controlled process to above freezing point and then defrost the crate to see if we can get a dram or two out of the bottle – but even that will be done by syringe, no uncorking the bottle (at least that’s the plan at the moment).

This is going to be a bit of a time consuming process. You don’t just whack the temperature up by a degree a day, it’s slower than that. Why is it slower than that? To try and preserve as much of the original flavour, look and texture of the whisky instead of just quickly defrosting it and shredding the whisky.

So it’s going to be in there for a while as it comes back to more normal temperatures.

And all of that is just the first step, but we’re being patient here. The whisky has waited for a while so we can wait a little bit longer. Don’t get me wrong I’d love to have my hands on it tomorrow, but patience is a virtue (so they tell me).

So when are you nosing it, when can I buy it, what will happen to the bottles and the crate?

Easy, easy! The first step is to make sure that it thaws OK – and it’s in good hands at the moment so that should take place smoothly – after that it will be a case of getting down there when possible, taking the time to nose it and sample it properly to try and capture as much of the essence as possible.

Then the company will decide what’s to happen, so hold on to your pennies for now – or go buy a bottle of Whyte & Mackay while waiting! If there’s something to go on sale then the odds are that it won’t be this year.

And once we’ve tested, nosed and sampled, the original crate will head back to the ice.

Trust me, I’m as excited as you – if not more so – on this and I really can’t wait. But I have to. We all will.

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Want to follow the Tales of the Cocktail fun but can’t be there…? #totc

Richard Paterson — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 02:19:41 +0000

Tales of the Cocktail is shaping up to be fun. I’ve already mentioned on Monday and Tuesday what I’ll be doing there, but if you can’t make it to New Orleans there’s still plenty of ways to follow the good times online, so why not get a bottle of Whyte & Mackay, Jura or Dalmore and follow us from the comfort of your own home?

Follow me on Twitter and Facebook. I’m sure I’ll be posting plenty (where signal and battery life allows) if for no other reason than to torment they guys back in Glasgow on the Whyte & Mackay Twitter and Facebook profiles (I hear the weather’s terrible).

There’s also going to be the hashtag #totc used on Twitter.

The event itself is on Facebook and Twitter.

There’s also some back-up people on Twitter for the event – Mr Cocktail, Mrs Cocktail, Christina, Michelle and Melissa.

If you just want to see the pictures, then hit the likes of Flickr (as well as the Facebook group pictures) here and also with the tag TalesOfTheCocktail.

And there will also be some audio and video material released I’m told. Some details at the bottom of this page.

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Some early #totc fun: a caption competition with whisky prizes

Richard Paterson — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 16:00:03 +0000

During lunch with Catherine Stanton Schiff and others yesterday, Catherine sneaked out a few pictures that she put online. Now as you would expect, I look fantastic, but for a bit of fun – and two prizes (though at this point I have no idea what they will be. Whisky will figure in though) – let’s have a caption competition:

Let’s keep entries open until midnight UK time on Thursday. All you have to do is put your two caption ideas in the comments section. The two that are decided to be the funniest or most unusual are the winners. Please note, in the interests of fairness, we won’t pick the same winner for the two captions – whisky is for sharing after all.

Good luck everyone.

: Picture One

: Picture Two

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AMERICA! I’m back! I hope Boston, New Orleans and Dallas have whisky

Richard Paterson — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:15:36 +0000

Apparently, some of you Americans were missing me, so here I am back again for some more whisky and cigar adventures (well, in places you’re allowed to smoke anyway…) and here’s what I’m up to – hopefully get to meet a few of you…

Monday July 19

A quick blogger meet-up and lunch with Kirsten Amann, Catherine Stanton Schiff and Kenneth Kansky at Post 390 and then I’ll be at Davio’s, 75 Arlington Street, Boston in the evening for a trade dinner. Should be fun (as long as the jetlag stays off!)

Tuesday July 20

Easy day until 4pm and then it’s tastings and masterclass galore at Federal W&S and at Omni Parker House. The Omni Parker House one should be good for those who get along as everyone is getting a copy of my book and a bottle of Dalmore 15.

Wednesday July 21

A fond farewell is bid to Boston as I get to New Orleans for Tales of the Cocktail (did they check who they had invited? Do they put ice in these cocktails?) and I’ll be doing events in and around the Hotel Monteleone. One of the events, starting at 4.30pm, will see me doing a classroom style event with the drinks being poured, the Dalmore 12, 15, 18, Gran Reserva and King Alexander.

Tales of the Cocktail has a huge online presence, I’ll send the details out later for those who can’t make it along.

Thursday July 22

I’m taking the day off. I wish! Starting off at 11am I’ll be doing a book signing in the Hotel Monteleone, then having a chat with Kevin Jenkins of The Chef & the Fat Man fame. But it won’t be too long a chat as I’ll have a plane to catch, getting into Dallas at around 9pm. Someone tell me a decent place to go for a late night drink and cigar!

Friday July 23

I can guarantee I’ll be sweltering from all the running about I’ll be doing as I’ve got a bunch of private events on before a cigar event at Javier’s, 4912 Cole Ave. Dallas.

Saturday July 24

Not much on apart from a mad dash to the airport to catch another plane and get back to New Orleans (in case they are missing me) and get ready for the Spirited Awards at The Roosevelt Hotel that night.

Sunday, July 25

Sleep. Aye, maybe if you’re another Richard Paterson. More Tales of the Cocktail fun with a presentation on Scotland’s Whisky Legends and Pacult involving myself, F. Paul Pacult and Colin Scott from Chivas. This is actually going to be a cracker as we’re discussing some terrific points about whisky – I’ll do another blog post about it later – and then I’m a guest at an event called Ahead in an Online World which apparently is going to tell us about stuff called Twitter, Facebook, blogs and so on. Never heard of any of it. All I want to know is can I put my whisky glass on the old-fashioned CD tray?

Monday July 26

Travel back to Glasgow. Might sleep, might prepare some notes for an online whisky tasting I’m doing with some guys in Australia on the Wednesday.

Anyway, that’s what I’m officially up to. There’s some spare time in most of the cities, so let me know if there’s anywhere worth popping into. After all, the last time this suggested, I popped into a little company called Twitter…

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What’s your benchmark whiskies?

Richard Paterson — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 12:07:34 +0000

As I’ve been a whisky Master Blender for nearly 40 years, that’s a question that’s come up quite a lot recently but John Hansell has started a cracking debate over at What Does John Know and it’s well worth taking part in if you’re a whisky fan – and remember it can be blends as well as malts, it’s what was your benchmarks, not anyone else and whisky should always be personal.

And yes, I’ll answer the question. Soon.

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Some more #grandprix fun: If David Coulthard or Lewis Hamilton were whisky, how would they taste?

Richard Paterson — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 09:14:50 +0000

As revealed last week, I created three F1 whisky expressions for the Force India driving team, including the only F1 Scot Paul Di Resta. But that got me wondering: what would others taste like? If you could bottle David Coulthard, Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button, Michael Schumacher or Ayrton Senna what would they taste like? It’s always fun to do celebrity whiskies so I spent a bit of time wondering…

And of course we couldn’t leave out Murray Walker or Lee McKenzie could we?

Good luck to the Force India lads today.

David Coulthard. This is a good old fashioned Scottish blend full of guts but like David it has a distinct, intelligent charm about it. This whisky has a lot to say for itself, both on the nose and the palate, and is best drunk in the café de Paris, mixed with just a dash of an energy drink.? …. Surely not !

Lewis Hamilton. His blend is young and cheeky and would require some good insurance to cover its hefty price tag. With a nod towards Lewis’ faux pas in Australia this whiskies flavours would run rings around the tongue in an ‘ exuberant’ manner before knuckling down and getting to the job in hand.

Jenson Button. Quite simply his whisky is light and charming almost delicate to start with but make no mistake, it means business. Powerful, and full of body but with flirtatious top notes it’s guaranteed to be a firm favorite with the ladies.

Michael Schumacher. This blend is full of aged grain whiskies as they too are set to make a big comeback in the whisky world. With notes of peat smoke and sea spray this whisky isn’t afraid of a flavour collision to make it a championship winning drink.

Ayrton Senna. This whisky is unique. Made with a selection of only the finest award winning aged malts and calling for every ounce of the blender’s skill, it is perfection in a glass. No mixer or water required, it should be drunk only with respect.

Murray Walker. Probably the most quoted whisky of all. Fondly remembered by millions this blend is a frenzy of flavour, bursting with exuberance but always well balanced.

Lee Mackenzie. Cool under pressure and easy on the eye like the BBC pundit herself. The Mackenzie clan has strong historical associations with the finest of all Malt whiskies, the Dalmore, so it’s fitting that her blend contains more than a drop of this amber heaven. Her whisky is bold on the nose and easy on the palate but the quality within ensures it will always hold its own amongst the heavier whiskies, jostling for that all important exclusive (and Lee’s now a bit of a whisky expert after what I taught her).

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