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How to Pick an Awesome Scotch

Alison Stein Wellner

The first thing to know about Johnny Walker, director of wine and spirits at Malmaison, a chain of 11 boutique hotels in the U.K., is that, yes, Johnny Walker really is his name.

This wee, bald Scotsman has a job that almost can't be properly called "work" -- he's in charge of keeping Malmaison's bars stocked with the finest wine and spirits. In the line of duty, he travels to a different country each month, visiting distilleries and vineyards, tasting, sniffing and sampling -- while of course keeping a close eye on all the goings-on in his native Scotland's many distilleries.

At the tender age of 15, Walker became an apprentice cooper, or barrel maker. Ever since, he's been working for distilleries, wineries, and then hoteliers, including Richard Branson. A recent item on his to-do list: building the 55-item whiskey list for Malmaison's latest project, the November reopening of the historic Fox and Anchor bar in London.

	Photo: Johnny Walker

If you're looking for a good Scotch to warm winter's impending chill -- or to give as a holiday gift -- here are seven Scottish drops that Walker has on his shortlist for the Fox and Anchor.

Age Is Just a Number ... Or Is It?

Scotch whiskeys spend a certain amount of time maturing in its casks, for at least 10 years --and the deluxe whiskeys can age a lot longer than that. "When you're in a whiskey shop looking for something special, or it's the end of the evening and you're looking for a nice way to finish up, many people will go for a nice 20-something year-old -- especially if someone else is paying," says Walker. There's nothing wrong with this, of course, but Walker suggests you don't make your picks on age alone.

The oldest "is not necessarily the best expression of that distillery," he says. "I like a whiskey that's 15, 16, 17 years old. It's got a certain grace and texture, a certain heat and softness," he says. He particularly likes the island of Islay's Ardbeg 17-year. "Ardbeg is masculine, medicinal whiskey," he says, "and that is my favorite balance of Ardbeg."

Small Batches

A trend in whisky today is toward the individual and the unique -- distillers are producing small batch whiskies in single casks, the number of casks declared, the labels signed by the distillery manager, "a kind of personal touch that people are curious and fascinated about," says Walker. If that describes you, try Edradour. It's the smallest distillery in Scotland, located in the Southern Highlands town of Pitlochry, and produces just 12 casks a week of its smooth, creamy and smoky whiskey. Walker likes the 11-year-old with the Madeira finish.

Organic

Organic scotch is a growing trend, and while Walker is suspicious of trends for trendiness sake, he likes the organic offerings at Benromach, a small distiller in Speyside, Scotland. Benromach's organic single malt is aged in virgin American oak casks, which come from trees that lived in environmentally managed forests. "It will impress the tree hugging, save the planet feeling that's going around right now," he says.

Best Comeback

Distillers are always experimenting with their formulas by using special years, different wood finishes and so on.

"There's all sorts of playing around with things, but the industry has to be sure it's not just a novelty or a gimmick. This is treading on dangerous territory. It has to taste as good as the original, or offer a slightly different dimension. If they don't, and the whiskey's poor, it will bugger up the whole thing," he says.

An innovative distiller that's getting it right, says Walker, is Bruichladdich in Islay, Scotland. It's had a revival of late, and a new production director that's an ex-cooper, just like Walker himself.

"Their single malts are a little more gentle, peaty and spicy," he says, and the presentation in the bottle is fresh, fun and modern.

"These are really smart, well-dressed single malts of various years and lots of lots of choice and various finishes," he says. Try the "Islands" 20-year-old, 3rd edition, 46%.

Best to Impress

When you don't want to mess around with anything experimental and you just want to buy a knock-your-socks off drink, Walker suggests Ardbeg's Special Edition Lord of the Isles. Another pick is the Glennfiddich Solara 21-year-old reserve.

Old Faithful

Walker's favorite standby Scotch is Auchentoshan, which means "corner of the field" in Gallic. This is one of the few distilleries still operating in Glasgow, which makes it a Lowlands scotch. "It has very round, bourbon finish, it's got a deep dark color, soft and round, with a taste of raisins and treacle and cake ... a bit of pomegranate, and an oak and spice feel to it as well," he says, adding, "this is a comfort zone to me. I always return to it."