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Competition
The Final Countdown
The Battle of the Blends is now closed
By Rupert Wheeler
As I write this, the final results of the judging are being checked and double checked to determine our overall winner of the Battle of the Blends. We have sent out samples from both here at
Whisky Magazine
and also from Master of Malt who have been very much behind the competition including getting the whole process out on social media, where I am reliably informed it has been a huge success. I estimate that we have sent samples out to over 300 judges most of whom were in the UK but also in the United States and even as far away as Hong Kong.
I very much look forward to announcing the winner in late October and we will then start the whole process again when we announce a new contender at Whisky Live London in March 2016.
Neil ‘Copper Dog’ Ridley
All is quiet in the Ridley household. In fact, since Orville has departed, I am feeling a slight pang of Blending Turkey – a commonly known complaint experienced by many whisky blenders, who have just lovingly released a new batch of spirit into the wild. Of course, I joke, but perhaps there is some truth in the matter. Putting Orville together and seeing / tasting the changes as it married and matured in the little 20 litre cask gave me an insight into just how incredible the art of the blender really is.
Here we are messing around, pretending that we really know the intricacies of putting together a first class blended whisky. The truth is that adding a number of different spirits into a cask in varying amounts is easy; the tough bit comes in creating a living, breathing recipe that can be replicated time and time again, often from a shifting inventory of different flavours.
I can’t begin to think how hard it would be to keep making an exact version of Orville again and again. The whole point to blending I guess is to create a balanced palate of colours. Hopefully you’ll find some light and shade in here!
Dave ‘The Rummager’ Broom
Well, that’s that then. There’s a space in the office where my wee cask used to sit and while I wouldn’t necessarily go to the lengths of saying there was a Rosalita-shaped hole in my heart, I’ll miss her. As I said in the last issue, this was a fun exercise – yes it was somewhat contrived (no blender would ever approach their work in this fashion) but this incremental method of blending has helped to underline the importance of overall and internal balance within a blend, a real demonstration of how 2 + 2 does not equal 4.
I haven’t a clue how people will react to my blend. All I know is that I did the best I could. I don’t know how good Neil’s is – though I expect it to be excellent – but this isn’t about there being a winner (and therefore a loser). Reducing this exercise to a competition misses what whisky as a whole is about – distillers, blenders, bottlers, ham-fisted hacks doing the best they can and hoping that people appreciate their efforts. The idiocy of competition distracts everyone from that truth. So, those of you who tried it, I hope you enjoyed it. If you didn’t, never mind, there’s plenty more whisky around.
The Final Blends
Ridley's Blend
Springbank 10 Years Old
Hazelburn 12 Years Old
Overeem Port Cask (Tasmania)
Bowmore Darkest
Arran Machrie Moor
Highland Park Svein
Glenkinchie 12 Years Old
Auchentoshan Three Wood
Nikka Coffey Grain No Age Statement
Dailuaine 16 Years Old
Aberlour 12 Years Old
Clynelish 14 Years Old
Broom's Blend
The Glenkinchie 12 Years Old Distiller’s Edition
Ardmore Legacy
Kilkerran Work in Progress 6 matured in ex-Bourbon casks
Springbank 12 Years Old
Aultmore 12 Years Old
Caol Ila 12 Years Old
Greenore 8 Years Old
Cameronbridge No Age Statement
Girvan Apps No.4
Teaninich 10 Years Old
Clynelish 14 Years Old
More COMPETITION Articles
Auction News: Important relics from difficult history
Drams Under the Hammer: June 2022
Auction News - Port Ellen's past, present and future
See more Competition stories
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