Ask the Edrington Group's master blender, John Ramsay, what makes his drams different and he immediately proposes marriage. In the whisky-making sense, of course. Marriage used to be normal practice for blenders: before bottling, malts and grains would be brought together for a period of mingling. Most firms have abandoned the art, but Edrington sticks to the old ways, marrying its blends for six months and at reduced strength.
'The bean counters in most firms decided it wasn't helping the bottom line,' says John. 'But we ran an exercise to see if we were getting a benefit from marrying, and we were.' It's all down to maximizing flavour.
'When you add water to cask-strength malt, some components become unstable,' he continues. 'We give that time to settle, which means we can give the final blend a light filtration. If you don't do this you'll have to give it a harder filtration to get that stability - and then you lose some flavour'.
The process is made more complicated by his insistence on marrying blocks of blends. 'We'll combine malts and grains; reduce, marry and have Blend One,' he explains. 'Then we repeat the exercise and get Blends Two to Four. When it comes to bottling, rather than just using all of Blend One and then moving on, we'll use some from each batch. It's a form of whisky solera'.
But we skip ahead. Edrington's brands (which include Famous Grouse, Cutty Sark -which they blend for Berry Bros - Lang's Supreme and Black Bottle) start their lives as the new make samples from a host of distilleries, and are nosed by John every day. Then, like every blender, he has to work out how much new make to lay down, to satisfy potential demand for any of the brands many years down the line. It's this ability to assess new make and mature spirit that sets blenders apart.
John can stick his nose in a glass of Glenrothes 5-year-old from sherry wood and know if it fits 'the wee picture in my head', and also how that whisky will behave when combined with thirty others. While some of us may be able to pick out a few malts at a blind tasting, a blender knows not just what it is but whether it fits within the right parameters according to age and wood. It's an awesome ability, but this modest man hasn't allowed it to go to his head.
These blends are very different creatures: they don't just have different core malts, the wood recipe has also been carefully plotted. The sherry wood in the delicate Cutty comes from American oak; the richer Lang's uses Spanish oak and Grouse uses both. 'You want a fragrant sweet aroma in Cutty, so you use American wood and a Speyside malt like Tamdhu for sweetness, with some Bunnahabhain for freshness. Grouse is Speyside-based as well, but there is a lot of influence from Highland Park and the mix of sherry from Spanish and American wood'.
He uses a very Scottish analogy to describe the art of blending. 'It's like putting together a good soccer team. You need a strong central core, then you can tack the stars around that. It's useless if you haven't got that central core right.' But the unsung, hard-working midfielder in all the Edrington blends is North British grain. 'We use different grains: some for commercial reasons, but also to give different characters in the blend. We'll use Strathclyde when it's younger, as it matures quicker. North British ages well, so it will be used in older blends -it also rounds out the wood influence on older whiskies.
'A blend is a bit like a pasta with sauce,' John concludes. 'The grain is the pasta, edible but bland, and the malts are the sauce - a bit strong on their own, but together they're a great combination.' CUTTY SAR1C first made in 1923 by London wine merchants Berry Bros & Rudd, Cutty Sark was specifically made as a light-flavoured blend that would appeal to the American market, even though Prohibition was in force. It was smuggled into the United States by one Captain William McCoy and became so popular that people began demanding 'the real McCoy' as their choice of bootleg liquor.
TASTING NOTES
Cutty Sark Gentle, light nose with oat, butter, icing sugar and some delicate raspberry. A mix of cream and grass, with a touch of lemon sherbet on the finish. * * *
BLACK BOTTLE
Originally conceived by Aberdeen tea merchant Gordon Graham in the 1870s, Black Bottle passed through many different hands before landing in Highland Distillers' lap in 1995. John Ramsay has since reformulated it to be 'the malt with the heart oflslay' and uses all seven Islay malts in the blend. It's a brand to watch.
TASTING NOTES
Black Bottle 10-year-old
Islay personified: ozone, ginger, ripe fruit and ginger. With water, an intense smoky perfume leaps out, then mingles with soft cakey fruit before a blast of salt-spray halfway through. Stunning.
FAMOUS GROUSE Perth wine merchant William Gloag started blending whiskies in the 1860s, to warm the cockles of the huntin', shootin', fishin' set. In 1896 his nephew, Matthew, created The Famous Grouse. It remained a little-known classic until the 1970s, but since then has become Scotland's favourite dram, number two in the UK, and is spreading its wings into export.
TASTING NOTES
The Famous Grouse
A fat, juicy, succulent nose with a bint of menthol, lavender and a drift of smoke. Lovely weight on the palate, which is sweet, lightly spiced and tinged with peat. * * * * (*)
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Booking a Magician
The most important thing is to make sure you book a professional. An amateur or part-time magician maybe able to perform amazing magic but there is a lot more to it than that. Will they turn up on time? Will they be smartly presented? Will they work hard to make sure they see every guest? Will they have the experience to cope with any last minute changes?
Remember that if you are hosting or organising an event, the magician you choose will reflect on you. In the same way, a professional magician who's livelihood depends on performing regularly will look after all the small details because it reflects on them and their prospects of getting more work.
How do you know someone is a professional? After all, anyone can say they are but what can you do to check that it's true?
<b>How to Spot a Professional Magician</b>
Check that the magician has a good website and/ or printed promotional materials. These days, magicians often rely on a website to provide information to prospective clients because it is so easy to keep a website up to date. Many also have videos or DVDs and printed materials including photographs. Of course, this doesn't make them a great magician but it does indicate their professionalism. It can also give you an idea of what a performer is like if you haven't met them.
Check that the magician is a member of magic societies such as the Magic Circle and the International Brotherhood of Magicians. These societies require magicians to be serious and accomplished performers before they are allowed membership. Another good sign is if they are a member of an organisation like Equity, the UK performers union or similar professional body.
Check the magician's list of clients and engagements, and testimonial/ recommendation letters. A professional magician should be able to provide details of past clients and engagements - if they can't something is wrong. The types of events they have been involved with will indicate if they are the right magician for your event. The letters and quotes can be helpful, although it is unlikely that any bad quotes will find their way into someone's promotional materials! However, the number and quality of the quotes should give you an idea of how well received a performer is. Don't be afraid to ask for copies of the original letters or emails.
Check that the magician has public liability insurance. This is very important! The magician may be closely interacting with your guests, perhaps borrowing objects from them and a professional will be covered for any accidents that may happen.
<b>Is a Particular Professional Magician Right for You?</b>
So, you've found a professional magician. How do you know they are right for you and your event? Obviously, seeing them perform is the best way. Often a magician will work regularly at a restaurant or club, or even have a regular stage show and this is a great opportunity to see them in action. However, some magicians only perform at corporate and private functions and you may not be able to see them in public.
Promotional materials and information about past clients and engagement should give you a pretty good idea what they are like, but a quick phone call is the best way. Have a chat with them, ask them what their performance style is like and what types of magical effects they perform. If you like what you hear and can get on with them over the phone, it's a good sign.
<b>Price and Negotiating a Fee</b>
Often the main factor when deciding which magician to choose is price. Fees for professional magicians vary a lot because they depend on many factors such as the date and time of the event, how well known the magician is, what type of magic you want them to perform, how long you want them for, etc. But, as with most other services and products, you get what you pay for. Good magical entertainment is not something that you can get cheaply. If you are shopping around and enquiring with many magicians, going with the cheapest may not be the best option!
When negotiating the fee it can be a good idea to be up front and state what the available budget is. This could save both you and the magician a lot of time. If one magician is too expensive or is not available, they may be able to suggest another magician or entertainer for your event. Their opinion is worthwhile, since they should be well aware how good other magicians are and suggesting someone unprofessional would reflect badly on them.
Finally, remember to check whether the fee you negotiate is fully inclusive and that there are no hidden extras such as VAT or travelling expenses.
<b>Note: This article is written from a UK perspective, but many of these tips will be relevant in other countries.</b>
Remember that if you are hosting or organising an event, the magician you choose will reflect on you. In the same way, a professional magician who's livelihood depends on performing regularly will look after all the small details because it reflects on them and their prospects of getting more work.
How do you know someone is a professional? After all, anyone can say they are but what can you do to check that it's true?
<b>How to Spot a Professional Magician</b>
Check that the magician has a good website and/ or printed promotional materials. These days, magicians often rely on a website to provide information to prospective clients because it is so easy to keep a website up to date. Many also have videos or DVDs and printed materials including photographs. Of course, this doesn't make them a great magician but it does indicate their professionalism. It can also give you an idea of what a performer is like if you haven't met them.
Check that the magician is a member of magic societies such as the Magic Circle and the International Brotherhood of Magicians. These societies require magicians to be serious and accomplished performers before they are allowed membership. Another good sign is if they are a member of an organisation like Equity, the UK performers union or similar professional body.
Check the magician's list of clients and engagements, and testimonial/ recommendation letters. A professional magician should be able to provide details of past clients and engagements - if they can't something is wrong. The types of events they have been involved with will indicate if they are the right magician for your event. The letters and quotes can be helpful, although it is unlikely that any bad quotes will find their way into someone's promotional materials! However, the number and quality of the quotes should give you an idea of how well received a performer is. Don't be afraid to ask for copies of the original letters or emails.
Check that the magician has public liability insurance. This is very important! The magician may be closely interacting with your guests, perhaps borrowing objects from them and a professional will be covered for any accidents that may happen.
<b>Is a Particular Professional Magician Right for You?</b>
So, you've found a professional magician. How do you know they are right for you and your event? Obviously, seeing them perform is the best way. Often a magician will work regularly at a restaurant or club, or even have a regular stage show and this is a great opportunity to see them in action. However, some magicians only perform at corporate and private functions and you may not be able to see them in public.
Promotional materials and information about past clients and engagement should give you a pretty good idea what they are like, but a quick phone call is the best way. Have a chat with them, ask them what their performance style is like and what types of magical effects they perform. If you like what you hear and can get on with them over the phone, it's a good sign.
<b>Price and Negotiating a Fee</b>
Often the main factor when deciding which magician to choose is price. Fees for professional magicians vary a lot because they depend on many factors such as the date and time of the event, how well known the magician is, what type of magic you want them to perform, how long you want them for, etc. But, as with most other services and products, you get what you pay for. Good magical entertainment is not something that you can get cheaply. If you are shopping around and enquiring with many magicians, going with the cheapest may not be the best option!
When negotiating the fee it can be a good idea to be up front and state what the available budget is. This could save both you and the magician a lot of time. If one magician is too expensive or is not available, they may be able to suggest another magician or entertainer for your event. Their opinion is worthwhile, since they should be well aware how good other magicians are and suggesting someone unprofessional would reflect badly on them.
Finally, remember to check whether the fee you negotiate is fully inclusive and that there are no hidden extras such as VAT or travelling expenses.
<b>Note: This article is written from a UK perspective, but many of these tips will be relevant in other countries.</b>
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