Pistonheads whisky cask
Discussion
Coneyhurst Blue said:
You are absolutely right Dave, in my excitement I have forgotten my manners.
Sorry Lefty.
I would therefore like to register an interest in another cask (Fino seems popular ?) and hope that Lefty would be able to help with the organising.
Coneyhurst Blue
I'm happy to lend a hand with any organising too. Sorry Lefty.
I would therefore like to register an interest in another cask (Fino seems popular ?) and hope that Lefty would be able to help with the organising.
Coneyhurst Blue
Do other distilleries offer this sort of thing?
Hi Iain
If the Whiskyheads massive can wait another three weeks it would be great to have a hand in filling that port cask.
Has Alex sorted a long trip up north yet ? Three/four weeks is a good time for a mini collective. Four weeks is the BH if anyone else could make it for a mini gathering ?
It would also seem inpolite to ignore a Fino - as I'm in all the way through (in partnership with Pete).
Peter
If the Whiskyheads massive can wait another three weeks it would be great to have a hand in filling that port cask.
Has Alex sorted a long trip up north yet ? Three/four weeks is a good time for a mini collective. Four weeks is the BH if anyone else could make it for a mini gathering ?
It would also seem inpolite to ignore a Fino - as I'm in all the way through (in partnership with Pete).
Peter
ClassicMercs said:
Hi Iain
If the Whiskyheads massive can wait another three weeks it would be great to have a hand in filling that port cask.
Has Alex sorted a long trip up north yet ? Three/four weeks is a good time for a mini collective. Four weeks is the BH if anyone else could make it for a mini gathering ?
It would also seem inpolite to ignore a Fino - as I'm in all the way through (in partnership with Pete).
Peter
Sounds great to me!If the Whiskyheads massive can wait another three weeks it would be great to have a hand in filling that port cask.
Has Alex sorted a long trip up north yet ? Three/four weeks is a good time for a mini collective. Four weeks is the BH if anyone else could make it for a mini gathering ?
It would also seem inpolite to ignore a Fino - as I'm in all the way through (in partnership with Pete).
Peter
Port Octave still not filled so I think that's a job for you and CB...!
I've asked GG about the Fino casks but not heard back yet, I'll keep y'all posted!
The outside of the old distillery (sorry no external shots of the new (ugly) distillery). This is the maltings and grain loft looking back up from the bottom of the site.
The lower floor of the maltings - interestingly called the 'witherings' - a name not seen elsewhere. The floor slopes away - the whole site is a bit odd like that - using the level of the land - or in places one level - some areas are actually underground as a result.
Lots of historical bits around. These were written by guys who worked there before the last silent period - noting their departure on the closure in the mid 80's. One of the chaps lived in a cottage on site until he passed away recently.
Some of the older workings in the 'new' distillery. The temperature guages for the mash tun, only recently disconnected as they were not reliable. Plus some old pipework shown. The mash tun in the corner is like that at Bruichladdich, except they don't even have the copper top (which thieves had tried to steel during the last silent period (over £200k to replace).
An interesting reflective shot of the stillhouse shown through the re-opening sign when Alex Salmond came along in 2008. Just alongside was a small octave cask left over from the recent whisky festival. A very nice cask strength 3yo that you could bottle for £35. It was nice, but personally the Revival bottling is nicer as its less 'spirity' - but you could always add your own water.
The wash backs - the two newer s/steel one's are unused. The older wooden one's being unusual for their height above 'floor' level, hence the old wobbly steps. There are only four mashes a week - Mon/Tue/Thur/Fri all run by one man. Production is about 31 weeks per year with regular gaps of 5/6 weeks. Due to success of the Revival they are looking at expanding this to meet anticipated ongoing demand.
Tasting the wash, for the second time today. Not quite as strong as others - 7 to 8 % - and quite a lot sweeter. Almost like some ciders.
The view down from the balcony over the still house. Only one pair of stills. You usually see hammer marks in the copper. Here we noted machine marks. Apparently after the last closed period the leaking roof and bird ... left the stills so dirty that they had to be ground clean.
Up on the roof looking out to sea and the north. The small building with the chimney is an old managers house from the 60's now 'converted' into the bottling plant.The roof in front is the top of the wash back room.
Below are the old dunnage warehouse, not in use due to their roof state. You can just see a hole in the far end of the first V. The right has the cask filling room (the casks give it away), as well as the workshop (& cooperage repairs <limited>) and the packaging stores. The far buildings are the 60's warehouses holding our casks, and quite a few others. Many casks are from other distilleries, renting space. Two of our casks are at this end and the other two at the other - in number order.
A bit more quality control - nosing the empty cask - its damn easier with the bigger casks. The light marks around show where the rings have been pushed up to ensure all the staves are closed tight so the cask can't leak
What you have all been waiting for. A cask is born. It was full to the brim. Not as easy as filling your car as there is no automatic nozzle cut off. The lass was holding a torch over to see where we had got to. High - tech.
Sealing with the cork (what's its proper name ?) Note cask SC100 - cask 100 of 2012 with another 27 awaiting folks to visit and do the same.
And there she is - 72Kg all in.
The family photo - blow it up and pop it on your mantlepiece. Its only here that I realise how tall you are Lefty - although he did struggle to get is legs back down the hatch to come back off the roof.
We took quite a few shots in the warehouse. Lots of names on the casks. This one tickled our fancy, like to meet this person. There were a few like ourselves with a small number of casks. Ralfy had a cask next to one of ours.
If they can get £125k they would like to repair one (of 4) dunnage warehouse roofs and move all the wee casks into there together
The bottling 'hall'. Very small and low key. There are the end of the Revival bottlings going together. Nice to see this as part of the tour. You can see the same (larger) operation at Bruichladdich.
Getting near the end. Into the boardroom / tasting room (until the new visitor centre is ready in a few weeks). Lefty goes straight to the in-house collection they are starting to gather of old bottlings. If you see a bottle at auction the bidder will probably be the distillery, or Lefty.
And now - a drop of tasting. The medicine shaped bottles are actually 42yo that was rejected and put back into new casks to get over some bad (poor) flavours - bitterness. The middle square bottle is the winner at 36yo.
I should have asked about that very dark bottle on the mantlepiece.
The lower floor of the maltings - interestingly called the 'witherings' - a name not seen elsewhere. The floor slopes away - the whole site is a bit odd like that - using the level of the land - or in places one level - some areas are actually underground as a result.
Lots of historical bits around. These were written by guys who worked there before the last silent period - noting their departure on the closure in the mid 80's. One of the chaps lived in a cottage on site until he passed away recently.
Some of the older workings in the 'new' distillery. The temperature guages for the mash tun, only recently disconnected as they were not reliable. Plus some old pipework shown. The mash tun in the corner is like that at Bruichladdich, except they don't even have the copper top (which thieves had tried to steel during the last silent period (over £200k to replace).
An interesting reflective shot of the stillhouse shown through the re-opening sign when Alex Salmond came along in 2008. Just alongside was a small octave cask left over from the recent whisky festival. A very nice cask strength 3yo that you could bottle for £35. It was nice, but personally the Revival bottling is nicer as its less 'spirity' - but you could always add your own water.
The wash backs - the two newer s/steel one's are unused. The older wooden one's being unusual for their height above 'floor' level, hence the old wobbly steps. There are only four mashes a week - Mon/Tue/Thur/Fri all run by one man. Production is about 31 weeks per year with regular gaps of 5/6 weeks. Due to success of the Revival they are looking at expanding this to meet anticipated ongoing demand.
Tasting the wash, for the second time today. Not quite as strong as others - 7 to 8 % - and quite a lot sweeter. Almost like some ciders.
The view down from the balcony over the still house. Only one pair of stills. You usually see hammer marks in the copper. Here we noted machine marks. Apparently after the last closed period the leaking roof and bird ... left the stills so dirty that they had to be ground clean.
Up on the roof looking out to sea and the north. The small building with the chimney is an old managers house from the 60's now 'converted' into the bottling plant.The roof in front is the top of the wash back room.
Below are the old dunnage warehouse, not in use due to their roof state. You can just see a hole in the far end of the first V. The right has the cask filling room (the casks give it away), as well as the workshop (& cooperage repairs <limited>) and the packaging stores. The far buildings are the 60's warehouses holding our casks, and quite a few others. Many casks are from other distilleries, renting space. Two of our casks are at this end and the other two at the other - in number order.
A bit more quality control - nosing the empty cask - its damn easier with the bigger casks. The light marks around show where the rings have been pushed up to ensure all the staves are closed tight so the cask can't leak
What you have all been waiting for. A cask is born. It was full to the brim. Not as easy as filling your car as there is no automatic nozzle cut off. The lass was holding a torch over to see where we had got to. High - tech.
Sealing with the cork (what's its proper name ?) Note cask SC100 - cask 100 of 2012 with another 27 awaiting folks to visit and do the same.
And there she is - 72Kg all in.
The family photo - blow it up and pop it on your mantlepiece. Its only here that I realise how tall you are Lefty - although he did struggle to get is legs back down the hatch to come back off the roof.
We took quite a few shots in the warehouse. Lots of names on the casks. This one tickled our fancy, like to meet this person. There were a few like ourselves with a small number of casks. Ralfy had a cask next to one of ours.
If they can get £125k they would like to repair one (of 4) dunnage warehouse roofs and move all the wee casks into there together
The bottling 'hall'. Very small and low key. There are the end of the Revival bottlings going together. Nice to see this as part of the tour. You can see the same (larger) operation at Bruichladdich.
Getting near the end. Into the boardroom / tasting room (until the new visitor centre is ready in a few weeks). Lefty goes straight to the in-house collection they are starting to gather of old bottlings. If you see a bottle at auction the bidder will probably be the distillery, or Lefty.
And now - a drop of tasting. The medicine shaped bottles are actually 42yo that was rejected and put back into new casks to get over some bad (poor) flavours - bitterness. The middle square bottle is the winner at 36yo.
I should have asked about that very dark bottle on the mantlepiece.
Edited by ClassicMercs on Thursday 10th May 23:35
On the fourth attempt I got the photo's sorted.
I will try and go back and add narrative to them later.
A big thanks to Ronnie for the warts and all tour - you will never do one like it unless you work there. And even if you have been in a distillery before its unlikely you will have seen one like it - rustic and full of history. The nearest is Bruichladdich - hardly surprising given their comparable ownerships / recent history / silent periods. Its been a couple of years since I was there but they trade places for character in different ways.
If you haven't seen the Ralfy vidoes have a look - three parts - number 238 I think of his vlogs. And we also did the rooftop visit. Its great when you are up there - its looking through the metal grid floor from the top of the inside of the building that scared me (about five floors I reckon).
Our cask smelled fine - not too open at present as its been sat, but will no doubt open during the maturation as the spirit interacts with the wood.
All we have to do is wait - IT IS NOT READY YET !
I was going to say we did a tasting of the 12 / 15 / 18 yo's afterwards - the nearest they can get anyway, in relative terms. The new 3yo Revival is good and the bottles are selling very well. Get one soon everyone. But Lefty was right about the best dram of the afternoon - the '15'yo (relative to the rest) - £400. This part also showed the experience that Ronnie has with wood and finishing.
And we paid up for our purchases and left after a few hours (well - we both left iou's as the office had shut). Ralfy apparantly camped the night, having been there ALL day.
I will try and go back and add narrative to them later.
A big thanks to Ronnie for the warts and all tour - you will never do one like it unless you work there. And even if you have been in a distillery before its unlikely you will have seen one like it - rustic and full of history. The nearest is Bruichladdich - hardly surprising given their comparable ownerships / recent history / silent periods. Its been a couple of years since I was there but they trade places for character in different ways.
If you haven't seen the Ralfy vidoes have a look - three parts - number 238 I think of his vlogs. And we also did the rooftop visit. Its great when you are up there - its looking through the metal grid floor from the top of the inside of the building that scared me (about five floors I reckon).
Our cask smelled fine - not too open at present as its been sat, but will no doubt open during the maturation as the spirit interacts with the wood.
All we have to do is wait - IT IS NOT READY YET !
I was going to say we did a tasting of the 12 / 15 / 18 yo's afterwards - the nearest they can get anyway, in relative terms. The new 3yo Revival is good and the bottles are selling very well. Get one soon everyone. But Lefty was right about the best dram of the afternoon - the '15'yo (relative to the rest) - £400. This part also showed the experience that Ronnie has with wood and finishing.
And we paid up for our purchases and left after a few hours (well - we both left iou's as the office had shut). Ralfy apparantly camped the night, having been there ALL day.
ClassicMercs said:
We took quite a few shots in the warehouse. Lots of names on the casks. This one tickled our fancy, like to meet this person.
Edited by ClassicMercs on Thursday 10th May 23:35
Of all the casks in the warehouse. You had to pick mine.
Did you happen to see another labelled Special Needs Reserve. That's also mine Oh forgot at add; great write up.
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