Glenkinchie 12 year old
From the rich agricultural countryside of East Lothian comes Glenkinchie, the Classic Malt of the Lowlands. As the distillery is so close to the Capital, it is known as The Edinburgh Malt.
East Lothian was the birthplace of the 18th century agricultural revolution in Scotland, which was to change the landscape in order to provide better feed for livestock and produce for markets in neighboring towns and cities.
The golden barley was destined for another market too. By 1837 local farmers, John and George Rate had become the first recorded licence holders of Glenkinchie Distillery, malting the barley grown in their adjoining fields and mashing it in pure water from springs in the Lammermuir hills to produce one of Scotland’s Classic Malt whiskies.
John & George Rate ceased production at Glenkinchie in 1853 but the premises were opened again in 1890 when a consortium of brewers, blenders and wine merchants from Edinburgh and Leith reformed the Glenkinchie Distillery Co Ltd.
The new owners rebuilt the premises but retained Glenkinchies two Lampglass Stills, the classic Lowland type of Still, which are the largest stills to produce any of Scotland’s malt whiskies. In 1914, the company was one of five lowland malt whisky distilleries to form Scottish Malt Distillers Ltd to concentrate their resources during a time of recession. Scottish Malt Distillers then became part of United Distillers and subsequently, part of Diageo.
Government restrictions to conserve barley for food supplies during the First World War meant that Glenkinchie, along with all other malt whisky distilleries, ceased production from 1917-19. Despite similar restrictions affecting other distilleries during the Second World War, Glenkinchie was able to produce small quantities of whisky each year from 1941-45.
Region: Lowland, Scotland
Nose: Freshly aromatic: grassy, spicy and lemon-grassy.
Palate: Soft, spicy: cinnamon and, ginger. Beautiful balance of sweetness and dryness.
Finish: Fragrant spicy dryness.
Miticha Mohon
Mahon is an exquisite Spanish cheese from the island of Menorca. Made from cow’s milk, this cheese has an orange to brown rind, which darkens as it ages. The texture of Mahon cheese is hard and crumbly, and the interior is a cream color. Its flavor is nicely sharp and almost smoky like a good cheddar, but also a bit salty with a faint hint of lemon.
Tyrconnell Single Malt
In the Northwest of Ireland lies an ancient Gaelic kingdom called Tyrconnell when translated from Gaelic means "The Land of O'Donnell". The O'Donnell's were one of the most powerful Gaelic noble families right up to colonization and reined the ancient kingdom, which is now County Donegal, until 1701. The territory is famous for its distilling tradition. One of the oldest distilleries in the region established in 1762 and reputed to be the first distillery in the world to install a patent still was Andrew A. Watt Distillery.
The Watts distillery dates back to 1762 and had a proud tradition of producing good whiskies. Tyrconnell was their flagship brand, which was a best seller in the United States before Prohibition and is named after a very successful racehorse owned by the Watt family. This historic whiskey brand has been kept alive by Cooley Distillery the only independent distillery in Ireland who has maintained Tyrconnell reputation.
Region: Ireland
Nose: Grassy, leafy. Herbal. Hint of charcoal. Dry.
Palate: Firm, silky, oily. Some vanilla-pod. Cereal-grain flavors.
Finish: Garden mint. Very late sweetness.
Tillamook Sharp CheddarBack in 1909, ten small, independent cheese plants in Tillamook county, joined together and formed the Tillamook County Creamery Association. Its mission was to serve as a quality control organization for the many local cheese manufacturers in the area.
Tillamook Sharp Cheddar is naturally aged for over nine months to achieve a full-bodied flavor marked by sharp accents, the nuttiness of Swiss and a hint of Parmesan.
Bowmore Legend
Bowmore Distillery, one of the oldest in Scotland has stood on the shores of Loch Indaal, on the Hebridean Island of Islay, since 1779. Its close proximity to the sea is vital in determining the final character of Bowmore Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky, as is the strict adherence to the traditional production methods handed down to Morrison Bowmore Distillers Ltd in 1963, by its four previous owners.
Bowmore Distillery is one of an ever, decreasing handful of distilleries to produce its own floor malted barley. The barley is still laboriously hand turned, by the Maltman, using the traditional wooden malt shovel. Bowmore Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky is produced using water from the Laggan River from where it gathers the flavors of the rich Islay Peat, the same Peat that fires the Malt drying kiln.
The famous Bowmore Vaults are where Bowmore Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky spends nearly all of its life resting quietly in the damp cellars below sea level - the Spanish and American Oak Casks into which it is filled, imparting rich and mellow flavours to the maturing whisky. Peat, barley, water, wood, people and tradition accumulate to create the subtle, warm and smoky character of Bowmore Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky.
Region: Islay, Scotland
Nose: Peaty, smoky, very appetizing.
Palate: Light but textured. Flavors very singular, and not yet melded. A fresh, young whisky, but no obvious spiritiness.
Finish: Sweet, then salty.
Cashel Blue
Cashel Blue is a hand-made, semi-soft, blue veined, medium-strength blue cheese with a creamy texture. Cashel Blue was the first Irish blue cheese, and it was first marketed in 1984, and was named after the Rock of Cashel overlooking the pastures close to the cheese farm of the Jane and Louis Grubb. It has large blue flecks, made by the action of Penicillium roqueforti, the same fungus used in Roquefort, Stilton and other blue cheeses.
Made in Ireland, this is one of the country’s few blue cheeses, made from unpasteurized cow’s milk mostly sourced from the Friesian herd on the farm. It is frequently used in cooking as it is not as salty as other blue cheeses.
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