Diageo and Orphan Barrel Program, International Edition

[risenc]

Not sure this is worth a post on its own, but I was on a tour of the Stitzel-Weller distillery last weekend, and the guide said that Diageo was going to expand the Orphan Barrel program to include scotch. He didn't have any details, and that's the first time I've heard that. Anyone else heard the same?

[squire]

Can't say that I have but if it's not here or in Whisky Advocate I haven't heard it.

[garbanzobean]

My understanding is that Diageo has claimed this since the beginning. I'm really curious as to what non-American whisk(e)y gets bottled. I'm not sure what the benefit would be to Diageo to release "orphaned" scotch unless they don't own the distillery anymore, but most scotch drinkers are going to be suspicious of product without at least some provenance. An Islay Orphan might work, but I am not sure they'd drum up much love for "Speyside." What else? Canadian? Irish?

[AaronWF]

I'd like to see a Scotland-distilled malt mature in KY. That'd be cool. I'm sure they could tank it over the Atlantic eh?

[squire]

They tried that through an arrangement between Makers Mark and Glenmorangie exchanging barrels to see how they would age. The experiment didn't work out though, the Scottish Malt aged too fast in Kentucky and the Bourbon sent to Scotland aged too slow.

[garbanzobean]

They tried that through an arrangement between Makers Mark and Glenmorangie exchanging barrels to see how they would age. The experiment didn't work out though, the Scottish Malt aged too fast in Kentucky and the Bourbon sent to Scotland aged too slow.

I think a scotch whisky exchange with the aging taking place in the Pacific Northwest or an even more mild climate might be interesting. Single Malt aged in the south sounds horrible. Overoaked yet immature. Yum.

[squire]

Brings some of those 10 year old Canadian Ryes a bit sharper into focus doesn't it.

[MtnDew]

I think a scotch whisky exchange with the aging taking place in the Pacific Northwest or an even more mild climate might be interesting. Single Malt aged in the south sounds horrible. Overoaked yet immature. Yum.

Funny you should say that. There is a local distillery in Seattle (Westland) who is making single malts very much in the scotch style. They even import used sherry butts for aging, the only distillery in the US to do that according to them. Their aging warehouses are over near the coast and the climate is very similar to that in Scotland, at least in the less stormy parts of Scotland. Of course, the downside to this approach is that it will likely take a long time, as in 10+ years, for good whiskey to be released just like in Scotland, but I can be patient. Though their 26 month old American Single Malt and Peated Malt were both quite good and much more complex that I would have thought so that gives me hope. I'm wishing them all the success in the world!

-end thread derail

[squire]

You young guys can wait, I'm buying stuff already ready,