Would you like to have a 70 year Old Glenlivet Single Malt Whisky, then you’re going to have to pay about HK$156,000. Plus that’s only if you can get your hands on one. Released in March there were only 100 x 70 cl decanters (bottled in nice decanters) being released, so not easy to get your hands on one of the oldest whiskies in the world even if you do have the spare cash.
Single Malt Whisky is a product of one distillery and most of the time aged for a considerable time before release, hence the price. Generally the whisky will be a blend of different casks and ages in order to provide some consistency, but all the whiskies will be from the same distillery. Occasionally as in this case with exceptionally old whiskies and sometimes bottled also as a single cask malt whisky.
Japan was hit by an earthquake in March, then followed by a Tsunami and then followed by a nuclear disaster which will have devastating long term effects for all the people of Japan and all its industries. Many sake breweries have been wiped out, estimates are counting over 30 may not be rebuilt due to possible contamination or being completely demolished. There has been a huge loss of life and all our thoughts go out to the people of Japan.
Figures in March were released that puts the USA as the biggest wine consuming nation in 2010. The figure of nearly 330m cases consumed is including domestically produced and imported wines. Chardonnay is still the choice of Americans with also a liking for Champagne. Well done USA.
You can now get the Slow Wine guide in English as an app for the iPhone and iPad launched in March 2011. Slow Food is described on their website
“Slow Food is a global, grassroots organization with supporters in 150 countries around the world who are linking the pleasure of good food with a commitment to their community and the environment.
A non-profit member-supported association, Slow Food was founded in 1989 to counter the rise of fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world. Today, we have over 100,000 members joined in 1,300 convivia – our local chapters – worldwide, as well as a network of 2,000 food communities who practice small-scale and sustainable production of quality foods.”
Slow Wine 2011 lists 8,400 wines from 1850 wineries chosen for their green credentials with things listed in the book like their copper sulphate levels in the vineyard, what fertilizers and pesticides are used. It even lists the types of yeasts used in each winery with links to googlemaps. If you are a iPhone app and an Italian wine lover then this is for you.
I will end with my favourite story of March 2011. Geales fish restaurant in London Notting Hill is to be a part of the release of the 1999 Salon Champagne. It recommends having it with Fish n Chips. I totally agree with this and I haven’t been that lucky to have such an awesome vintage champagne with Fish n Chips, but I have had Bollinger’s with Fish n Chips and it’s fantastic.
Salon 1999 is a Blanc de Blancs so 100% Chardonnay and made from a selection of 19 vineyards from Le Mesnil. The first batch of 1999 (2000 x BT) that has been released was aged for 10 years and disgorged and bottled in 2000, the remaining will be disgorged in batches of 2000 bottles every 6 months. Total production was 50,000 bottles. I’m going to try and get my hands on one of those.
Thanks for reading and keep in touch
AWSEC team
