My apologies to all my readers (what's left of the lot of you). I
have been neglecting the blog and am slowly getting back into the swing
of things. I have acquired many moire bottles, many more stories and a
few more items of interest.
So a quick recap of what
you missed in the LCBO vintages catalogue..... nothing really! Summer
is not the time for Whisky (or so the LCBO thinks), so they don't seem
to be displaying their wares. They are importing a ton for release over
the fall/winter months when people can use a 'warm-up'. The only thing
that did catch my eye are listed below:
Rittenhouse Straight Rye : That is American straight rye (Over 6 Years in oak and 51% Rye in the mashbill). Well let's delve into this, super rich on the nose with loads of vanilla, peppery fruits and rich punchy rye. There is also an earthy note that might be a little off-putting. In the mouth; it's hot and sharp to start but fades into rich vanilla covered fudge and more fruit covered with pepper. Then it's back! That earthy note actually becomes dirty in the mouth, like eating a handful of dirt. You know thouhg, it really grows on you (at least for me), and then it becomes a foundation to the finish. That earthiness drops into the peppered fruit and melted vanilla ice ream come out of the finish. If this is RYE; SIGN ME UP!! It's also a hell of a lot better than the paint stripper they call Crown Royal nowadays. LCBO SKU #230813. The guys at Heaven Hill distillers really have a winner on their hands., this is a heck of a buy for $35.
Ledaig 10 Year old (Isle of Mull) - This is the only distiller on the isle of Mull. Tobermory
(formerly Ledaig), is an island scotch, and a rarity to see in our
market. Tobermory is a standard single malt with some characteristic
isle flair, Ledaig (pronounced Luh-chaig), is the slightly grumpier peated sister. With a
full peaty punch and a brisk stride (seems a bit sharp and youthful), there is a
wonderful earthy nose featuring vanilla and bourbon florals with barley grains, and a soft, subtle, sweetness. At $67, the LCBO is asking a bit much, but for
the a bottle, but it's a chance for you to seek out a dram somewhere and try something different. LCBO SKU#315721.
Check your local LCBO stock, as I don't expect to see this one around long. Toronto seems to be a peat-head's playground. There are a lot of peat-smoke lovers in Ontario, and the LCBO preys upon that for the imports.
The Highland Park St. Magnus Edition (That's him on the right of the Ttrio), was
released to celebrate the six canonized Norsemen born in the 11th &
12th century on Orkney Island. Bottled at 55% ABV (natural cask
strength), it has an intensity that can't be beat. I found a rich and
sour nose with notes of toasted oats, spice, moss and damp wood.
Incredible depth with a hot finish giving heat, toasted walnuts and ripe
green fruits. With only 11,994 bottles for the world to share, it's a sort of rare breed.; but at $180 it's not everyone's cup of tea.
Also tasted was the
Adelphi Fascadale Batch number 2. Adeplhi (another excellent indie bottler), tends to pander to the Whisky lover with cask strength bottling, no colour added and non-chillfiltration. The Fascadale is an unknown distillery(as in we're not telling no matter how many emails you send them), from the isles. Limited to 3746 bottles world-wide, this is a definite collector's item, but a fantastic dram. I found rich and vibrant peat heavy hitting, with a fascinating olive note on the nose (Seems very Talisker-ish). The bite was definitely not what I had bargained for! All that peat upfront the nose gives way to gentle smoke woven through the whisky. Wildflowers and cracked pepper with a lime/chili note in the finish (Also very Talisker-y... hmmm). Excellent dram! At $120/bottle it might not be up everyone's creek but I can assure you that you won't be disappointed should you crack this bottle. LCBO SKU #238154.
There were a few other. If you follow my twitter feed
@ScotchCuyTO, then you'll surely have read some rare vintages that were sampled recently.
That being said; I guess that should be enough to fill you baskets with good tidings and golden whisky. I will update again soon with the missed Sept 3/2011 Vintages release, and the coming Sept 17/2011 releases.
Until Then,
Happy Dramming!
Mr. Allen
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