Glenfiddich Presentation & Tasting

The wonderful Glenfiddich Range (12, 15, & 18) has been presented and tasted at the Chala restaurant, in Barranco, Lima-Peru.
Jorge Irribarren, as the Company Mentor leaded the meeting.

In the picture we can see The William Grant & Sons Mentor for Peru Jorge Irribarren, Paul Bruce owner of the restaurant and Giannantonio Martinez Brand Manager of Glenfiddich.

The tasting ended with a marriage specially prepared by the resident chef of the restaurant.

Single Malt & Blended Whiskies

by Jorge Irribarren*

The most famous brands of whiskies are always the Blended category. In fact, the 3 most sold whiskies in the world are: JW Red, Ballantine's Finest and Grant's Family Reserve. The 3 of them are blended whiskies.

By the way, the most sold whisky Single Malt is Glenfiddich 12, but in quantity is to far from the blended ones.

Normally the Single Malt is more expensive than the Blended, because of the tradition, the exclusivity and the process. Talking about the process is important to say that making a blended whisky is cheapest than a Single Malt.

But what exactly is the difference between both?
A Single Malt is the traditional way to make whisky in Scotland. Is allowed only to use malted barley, water and yeast for the fermentation process. The distillation process is always in to steps (two distillations) using copper pot still (Swam neck-Alambiq) where is easy to separate the central part (middle cut) of the distillation, taking away the first one (foreshot) and the end (faints), which are not good for a single malt whisky. The process since the fermentation till the aging in oak barrels must be in the same distillery. There is normally a blend of different barrels and years between them and with water before bottling, but only with the malt whiskies of the same distillery. Then, the brand of the whisky will be the same of the distillery name. 
A Blended whisky is a mix of a malt whisky with a grain whisky. Normaly is also a mix of different malt whiskies form different distilleries with a grain whisky. The grain whisky is the real secret for make the process cheapest, because is made in a Column distillation process. More industrial, more cheap, but also, more easy to drink because normally is not that deep and intense in flavors. So, a blended whisky Express the different characteristics of each whisky region of Scotland and is normally lighter than a single malt, but express more aromas than a single malt.

The other point is that can use malt whisky form every where in Scotland. For that reason, the brand must be a commercial brand totally different of the name of the distillery. There is not a Grant's, or a Chivas or a Johnnie Walker distillery. They are just brands of whiskies made of many other whiskies that come form different distilleries.

So, which is better?

The answer is simple: Up to your palate, the moment and your pocket!
It is false that one is better than the other. They are different, for different moments and for different customers.

William Grant & Sons Ltd. produce both:

• Glenffidich Single Malt:
12, 15, 18, 21, 30, 40, 50, Snow Phoenix, Rich Oak, Cask of Dreams, 1937, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978 and the Janet Sheed Roberts Reserve of 55 years (only 11 bottles), in the commemoration of Janet Sheed Roberts death, William Grant granddaughter, before living 110 years in Scotland. She died in April 2012.

• The Balvenie Single Malt:
Signature 12, Double Wood 12, Single Barrel 15, Port Wood 21, and Thirty 30.

• Grant's Scotch Whisky Blended: Family Reserve, 12, 18, 25, Distillery Edition, Sherry Cask and Ale Cask.

*Alcoholic Beverage, Public Relations and Brand Developer Consultant

Ludo's Whisky Training in Scotland

Ludovic Ducrocq, Global Brand Ambassador of Grant's Whisky, did a sound training in whisky to a foreign delegation that came to Dufftown (Scotland) from Mexico, Latvia and Peru.
All the Grant's range were technically tasting: Familly Reserve, Sherry Cask, Ale Cask, 12 Years, 18 Years, and the whisky of the Year 2011: Grant's 25 Years (Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2011, Best Whisky Blended of more than 19 years).
The training also included a comparative session with the other best brands of the whisky market for each category.

 Re-discovering the whiskies with Ludo's assistance, was an unforgetable experience! 

* Ludo (Ludovic Ducrocq) borne in France and joined William Grant & Sons shortly after
graduating (2000). He initially worked as a Tour Guide before
becoming a Team Leader within The Glenfiddich Visitor Centre, in Dufftown-Banffshire-Scotland. Then, he travelled for 5 years as a Global Ambassador for The Glenfiddich Single Malt whisky, and finally joined the Blended whisky team in 2009.

He is the William Grant & Sons’ longest serving ambassador (since 2000).

The Liverpool Whisky Festival

At the fabulous "Britania Adelphi Hotel" of Liverpool, the most important brands of Scotch Whisky joined to a wonderful tasting: "The Liverpool Whisky Festival".

Eddie Ludlow, manager of the event, invited Jorge Irribarren, from Peru, to join the event as a participant, for knowing more about the Scotch Whisky culture.
Not only tastings, also conversations, seminars and special presentations were part of this special event.
One important brand in the event was "The Balvenie" Single Malt Scotch Whiskie. A handcrafted whisky from the William Grant & Sons Ltd. family. 

The distillery is located beside the medieval Balvenie Castle in Banffshire, (Speyside) Scotland.
It's important to say that this distillery is famous for his own malted barley, they don't buy malted barley as other distilleries, they do the process by their self.
Sometimes they use a little of peat and normally a special cask selection with the double mature style. Every process is specially controlled by the Malt Master David Stewart.

Andrew Forrester is the Balvenie Global Brand Ambassador, and during the Liverpool Whisky Festival, did a special range tasting for Jorge Irribarren.

Glenfiddich Trainning in Lima-Peru

Our WGS Brand Ambassador for Peru, Luis Manuel O'Brian (Luisma Iriarte for his Peruvian friends) has had several Single Malt training with Jorge Irribarren, the WGS Mentor for Peru.

Discovering together the real taste and flavors of the Glenfiddich family, and comparing it with other Single Malts, is something very important for their technical presentations and for having the opportunity to spreed the William Grant & Sons Ltd. history and portfolio, specially in relation with the romantic Single Malt that came from Dufftown, Banfshire, Scotland: "The Glenfiddich Scotch Whisky".  

Staying at the "The Maltkiln"

The wonderful guest house "The Maltkiln" in Dufftown, Scotland, is a place where every worker of the William Grant & Son Company, can stay specially for training.

Jorge Irribarren, Brand & Company Mentor for Peru, stayed several days, during his whisky training in the Glenfiddich distillery. There, he had the opportunity to share with other colleges and important workers, as the former Master Distillery of Grant's Whisky and also current Malt Master of the Balvenie Distellery, the master David Stewart.

Learning about Hendrick's Gin in Scotland with Lesley Gracie

The Quality Control Manager of Hendrick's Gin, and one of the Master Distillers (maybe also the developer of the original Hendrick's recipe) Lesley Gracie, teached the William Grant & Sons Mentor for Peru: Jorge Irribarren, the tips about Hendrick's Gin at the main distillery room at the Girvan-Hendrick's distillery, William Grant & Sons Ltd. Girvan, Scotland.

Brian Kinsman teach about Single Malts & the Art of Blending

At the William Grant & Sons Ltd. Headquarters in Glasgow, the Glenfiddich Malt Master & Grant's Master Blender, Brian Kinsman, teached to the Willian Grant & Sons Mentor for Peru, Jorge Irribarren, how to taste a rare Single Malt and how to make an special Single Malt selection for blending.

The "Art of Blending" is  the key in the Blended whisky industry.
Special productions of Glenfiddich and The Balvennie has been tasted. Rare years as 1965, 1937, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978, double matured and the limited Snow Phoenix Glenfiddich, have been chosen.
 

Launching of Hendrick's Gin in Peru

With the arrival of the Global Brand Ambassador, the launching in Peru was a successful Hendrick’s event.

There has been chosen 2 of the most important restaurants in Lima:

“Central” where the chef and owner Virgilio Martinez designed an unusual marriage between 7 special “Hendricks’s dishes” with Hendrick’s Gin-tonic. & Malabar, where the also chef and owner Pedro Miguel Schiaffino impressed the guests with a selection of Amazonian dishes created for an unusual marriage between the Amazonian-Tapas” and the also unusual Hendrick’s-Tonic...

The first event, as the precepts or the brand says, was mainly for specialized journalist and the second for the professionals in beverages and gastronomy.

Jorge Irribarren as the mentor responsible coordinated all the details with Cristobal Caicedo BDM of the Brand, Juan Diego Solari Brand Manager for Peru and Luis Manuel O’brian Brand Ambassador for Peru.

The Connoisseur radial program, leaded by Jorge Irribarren, did an interview to Xavier Padovani, Global Brand Ambassador of Hendrick’s gin and the WGS Ambassador for Peru, Luis Manuel O’Brian.

A wonderful vintage cabriolet gave the Hendrick’s-aura to the event .

The Peruvian lovers of “The Cucumber and the Rose” finally will enjoy them with Hendrick’s.