Whisky Advocate’s Post

𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗵𝘂𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 🍷🔵 In recent years, the wine market has seen a growing demand for wines with unique, vibrant colours, especially those with a hint of blue. This aesthetic not only catches the eye but also relates to crisp and fresh aromas. Responding to this consumer trend, we are glad to introduce our newest wine enzyme: 𝐋𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐙𝐘𝐌𝐄 𝐁-𝟔𝟐𝟎™. 🤔 How does 𝐋𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐙𝐘𝐌𝐄 𝐁-𝟔𝟐𝟎™ enhance the colour and the quality if wines ? 👉 Its powerful enzymatic action promotes more anthocyanins and polysaccharides extraction during maceration. 💪  👉 It combines excellent extraction capabilities with the ability to preserve colour, enabling the perception of younger wine. 🎨  👉 Even a year after maceration, wines treated with 𝐋𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐙𝐘𝐌𝐄 𝐁-𝟔𝟐𝟎™ exhibit more freshness and fruity aromas, an enhanced bluish tone in colour, a rounder mouthfeel due to extracted soluble parts, and reduced astringency.  More information? 👇 #LallemandOenology #WineMaking #RedWine #Innovation #LALLZYMEB620

Our pisco is crafted ORGANOLEPTICALLY, with our 5 senses (sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell), and with support from modern apparatuses that confirm our senses and our intuitions during harvest, crush, vinification, and distillation of our grapes. 1. Grape Harvest. Done by hand at their peak ripeness. We rely on a refractometer that measures sugar concentration in the fruit to ensure we get to them before the birds do! 2. Delicate Double Press. First by foot and, secondarily, by hydraulic press that preserves natural attributes and prevents bitterness. The secondary mechanized press allows us to gently extract more sugar-rich pulp as well as tannins and other flavor components from the skins. 3. Natural Fermentation. Occurs spontaneously via ambient yeast in our bodega and on the grapes themselves. The fermentations are monitored by sight, sound, and taste, and with a hydrometer that measures the sugar content in the wine throughout the fermentation process. 4. Single Distillation. Once the wine has fermented dry - when all of the sugar has been converted to alcohol, a single distillation to proof preserves the essence of the grapes. Japanese Schochu is one of the only other spirits in the world that single distills their product (cool)!!! 5. Resting and Blending. Pisco is required to rest a minimum of 3 months, but ours usually rests one year or more. Our pisco is hand-blended by master distiller, Nati Gordillo, to achieve a perfect balance of flavors and aromas, ensuring a consistent, exceptional pisco. THE RESULT? A pisco that is not just a drink, but an embodiment of our dedication to craftsmanship. A drink that lets you taste the land, the climate, and the love we pour into each bottle. #pisco #piscología

Orange is the New Wine? Yes indeed! We’re not talking Orange, we are talking white wine made like red - skin-contact white wine that results in a textural wine with an amber hue. What the wine gains from time on the skins can vary, depending on the variety and time that the juice is in contact with the skins. However, in general, you will find a texture from the phenolics (white wine tannins) and amazing aromas, along with the colour. The grape skins are not pressed to avoid the extraction of excessive bitterness, which also enables the alcoholic content to remain lower since the skins retain a certain amount of sugar and alcohol. These are then separated out by gravity. The two fermentations take place during this period in the vat, with wild yeasts and no addition of sulphites. This wine, made from muscat and sauvignon spent 14 days on skins and is an approachable example of the style. The nose is bursting with floral and citrus notes, along with a delightful peachiness. It’s a medium-bodied wine with light grip and a dry, floral finish. The place for this wine is at the dinner table, where you get to discover just how well this textural and savoury style can work with food. Check it out: https://lnkd.in/gWSyZjPr

STR (Shaved, Toasted, and Recharred) barrels are a specialized type of American or European oak cask used in the whisky industry, particularly known for their influence on the flavor profile of single malt whisky. These barrels go through a specific preparation process that makes them unique: Shaved: The inner surface of a used barrel is shaved to remove the old, saturated wood layer. This exposes fresh wood underneath, allowing the whisky to interact more with the lignin, hemicellulose, and other wood components that contribute to flavor. Toasted: After shaving, the barrel is gently toasted. Toasting is a slower, lower-temperature process compared to charring, which caramelizes the wood sugars and creates complex flavors like vanilla, spice, and fruit notes. This step is crucial in developing a deeper flavor profile.Recharred: Finally, the barrel is recharred at a high temperature. Charring creates a layer of charcoal on the barrel’s interior, which acts as a filter to remove unwanted compounds from the whisky while adding smoky and caramelized flavors. The recharred surface also enhances the whisky's interaction with the wood, helping to impart additional color and flavor. The STR process allows the barrel to impart a more complex and refined range of flavors to the whisky. The combination of fresh wood exposure, caramelization from toasting, and the filtering effect of charring results in a rich, well-rounded flavor profile. This can add notes of vanilla, caramel, fruit, and spice, enhancing the overall complexity of the single malt. STR barrels can accelerate the maturation process because the fresh wood exposed by shaving is more reactive. This can be especially beneficial if you’re looking to produce a mature-tasting whisky in a shorter time frame.Consistency: The STR process helps to create a more consistent flavor profile across batches, which is important for maintaining the quality and signature taste of your whisky. STR barrels often start as used barrels, which are rejuvenated through this process. This is a sustainable practice, making use of barrels that might otherwise be discarded, while still offering a high-quality maturation vessel. Art and Cask has in stock a large variety of STR barrels for sale . American White Oak or European Oak. Enquiries to: [email protected] www.artandcask.com

Chenin Blanc is a super cool French grape that I am very into. Why, you ask? It’s interesting and complex, without being weird. If you Like Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc… Chenin has some of that same bright acidity. If you like Chardonnay… Chenin has that heavier body. I feel like it speaks to everyone. Chenin has a lot of acid, which lets winemakers work it in all kinds of ways: sparkling Chenin, dry Chenin, dessert Chenin…they make them all. That high acidity can also be challenging; harvest the grapes too soon and it’s completely overwhelming. I love that Chenin Blanc can be beautifully round and soft with floral and fruit flavors, but also bursting with bright acidity. It can have a really expressive and intense fragrance and be darker in color—more yellow than straw—like this bottle of Chenin Blanc from Saumur. (Saumur is in the Loire Valley in France—which is south and west of Paris. Fun fact: Coco Chanel was born there.) Even though Chenin Blanc originated in France, the biggest Chenin producer today is South Africa, where the grape is also called Steen. At first glance, the Chenin in this picture looks almost like a dessert wine, but it’s anything but sweet. It has a toasty, almost smoky, apple smell; some white flowers like honeysuckle & chamomile, and even a hint of star fruit*. (*If you’ve never had star fruit, forgive me for offering a slightly fancy fruit comparison here, but sometimes I just see star fruit when I close my eyes and sip a wine. Star fruit tastes like a mix of pears, apples, grapes, and orange—so it works its way into a lot of wine aromas and tastes.) On first sip, this Chenin Blanc has a fabulous saltiness and mineral quality (probably from the limestone-clay soil in Saumur), and bright, tart acidity, with a really soft round finish. That’s what I truly love about Chenin. It manages to combine bright acidity with fuller body. It’s complex and interesting, and it’s delicious with really basic foods: cheese, chicken, a nice salad or a piece of fish. Chin to Chenin! #whitewine #cheninblanc #frenchwine #southafricanwine

Primary aromas, such as fruit and floral smells, come from the grape variety itself. Some classical varietal primary aromas are : black pepper in Syrah, capsicum in Cabernet Franc or again litchi and rose in Gewüztraminer. . Secondary aromas are derived from the winemaking process. "The term “secondary aroma” should refer to all the smells of vinification, not just fermentation – in effect all the smells that are neither from the grape nor from ageing.’ (Chris Mercer, Decanter Magazine, June 2020). . Some examples of secondary aromas includes : vanilla and torrefaction from oak ageing, butteriness/creaminess that can come from malolactic fermentation or again bread like aromas coming from lees ageing. . Tertiary aromas develop as wine ages. Common tertiary notes for red wines include leather, truffle, cigar box, tobacco, cedar and mushroom. In white wines, nutty, mushroom or honey notes can develop, while petrol or kerosene is often associated with aged Riesling wines. . Note that not all wines are able to age gracefully and develop some positive tertiary aromas - some wines are best enjoyed for their youthful primary characters! . . #sommninja #winestudent #asisomms #courtofmastersommeliers #sommeliere #sommelierlife #sommelierlifestyle #sommeliers #wineeducation #advancedsommelier

What is Oud? Other than the greatest wines from the early half of the 20th century, I’ve smelt nothing as complex as the finest oud. Great wine expresses itself through the medium of fruit; oud expresses itself through the medium of wood. Like wine, ouds vary enormously in price. None are inexpensive, and some are extraordinarily pricey. I’ve experienced ouds ranging from $30 to $1000 a milliliter. The greatest leave one in a daze, almost a trance. The wild trees (less expensive ouds are made from farmed trees) are rare. They must be at least 40 years old and attacked by a fungus that turns the wood black. Only a small proportion is vulnerable to the fungus. Depending on the oud, it may contain every point on the odor effects diagram (see earlier article). The finest ouds constantly change and continuously present a new odor profile.  #Oud is exalting because it’s woody (near the stimulating corner of the Odor Effects chart) and, at the same time, erogenic. (If I’m not careful, my cat will lick off any oud I’ve applied on even the tiniest spot.) It is usually balsamic—the narcotic side of the OED—and may often have floral and fruity notes. Fine oud offers a seemingly endless variety of odor and of odor effects. Like very fine wines, it has terroir, a phenomenon described in many ways but that I recognize by a peculiar sense of having smelt the aroma in the distant past but with no actual memory of having done so. There’s a strange familiarity and dèja vu quality. When I was working on an Oud perfume for Brooklyn Perfume Company, I incorporated a maximum of contrasting odor effects within a given odor profile. The perfume contains three different ouds. The ouds I used from Laos and Malaysia were “transcendental” or “etheric,” and hence stimulating, while the Hindi oud is pretty funky and clearly erogenic. It is true that the ouds were expensive, but they are so powerful that very little does a lot.

The aroma of wine, what do you need to know? Before you taste, swirl the wine gently in your glass, which should be filled to about a fifth of its capacity.  This action helps release the wine's aromas. Take a deep sniff and note your first impressions—they are often the most accurate. Try to identify specific aromas, such as floral, citrus, or red fruit. Refer to guides like the WSET aroma wheel to help categorise what you smell and then assess the intensity of the aroma: is it light, medium, or pronounced?

Hey foodies ! Let's chat about the awesome world of Pisco! Pisco, the grape brandy sensation, has its roots in both Peru and Chile. These countries playfully argue about who claims it as their national drink, adding a fun twist to its origin tale. Made from special "aromatic" or "muscat" grapes, Pisco's flavor gets a serious boost from the grape variety chosen. Terracotta Pisco amphorae, also known as "botijas" or "tinajas," are like rockstars in the Pisco scene. They're basically clay containers that influence Pisco's aging game. The clay's breathability lets a bit of air in, jazzing up the aging process and giving Pisco those distinctive flavors we love. Pisco has a cool rule—it can only be distilled from fermented grape juice, no sneaky additions allowed, no water, no other spirits, just pure grape goodness. Pisco is a rebel in the distillation world,  it goes through just one distillation, keeping those natural grape vibes intact, it's a single distillation wonder, unlike other brandies that may get the double treatment. Pisco's journey starts with crushing whole grapes, skin and seeds included. It's a "grape to glass" affair that adds that special something to the spirit. Like wine, where the grapes grow affects Pisco's flavor, different terroirs bring unique notes, creating a cool variety of Pisco styles. Pisco Sour is the rockstar cocktail made with Pisco, lime juice, simple syrup, egg white, and bitters, it's a frothy delight that's loved worldwide. Peru and Chile both have their National Pisco Days, each with its own flair Some Pisco fans swear it causes fewer hangovers ( hmmm..) Many Pisco producers, especially the smaller ones, are all about preserving tradition. Craftsmanship beats mass production any day. Whether you're savoring it neat, shaking up a Pisco Sour, or experimenting in the kitchen, Pisco is a journey of history, culture, and fantastic flavors. Here's to the spirit of Pisco! 🍇🥃 Now you know

Using a Sauternes cask for a single malt finish can impart rich and complex flavors. Sauternes wine, known for its sweet and fruity characteristics, can infuse the whisky with notes of honey, apricot, and tropical fruits. The cask's sweetness complements the malt's profile, creating a well-balanced and unique expression. Sauternes casks, typically made from French oak, contribute more than just sweetness. The wine's residual sugars and fruity elements interact with the whisky, enhancing its complexity. The oak itself imparts additional layers of flavor, introducing subtle spiciness, vanilla, and sometimes a hint of tannins. The result is a single malt with a nuanced palate, where the initial sweetness is accompanied by a delightful interplay of fruitiness and oak-driven spice. The marriage of the whisky and Sauternes cask can produce a harmonious and sophisticated expression, showcasing the influence of both the original distillation and the finishing cask. Once again, Art and Cask, has just acquired a few of these precious barrels, direct from a Classified Growth ,well known Châteaux. contact : [email protected] #sauternes #chateaudyquem #terroir #authentic