LCBO Vintages - Preview for March 19/2011

As usual for all LCBO Vintages members we get the sneak preview of the upcoming release.  My main interest lays in the Spirits section (obvious isn't it).

Saturday March 19/2011 brings back Eagle Rare 10-year-old Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon (Say that 5x fast).  A single barrel bottling from Old Prentice Distillery (now known as Buffalo Trace Distillery), aged 10 years served at 45%.  This is an excellent foray into quality American craft bourbon.  Excellent rich mahogany color and fantastic lush vanilla, caramel, oak and root beer flavors dominate this Kentucky straight bourbon.  A good buy at $50 [LCBO Sku #604785].  American bourbon has an excellent reputation amongst quality spirit drinkers.  It is stipulated to made from a minimum of 51% corn, aged at least 2 years (4 years to earn the 'Straight' moniker), only in new American Oak charred barrels.  When withdrawn from its woody cache, it cannot be colored or added to in any way shape or form.  This means no e150a caramel to give it that marmalade perma-glow orange (much the same as Snooki has a seemingly impossible Oompah-Loompah orange glow about herself).

Also featured in the mid-March release is a newcomer to the LCBO:  Smokey Joe Islay Malt.  I've heard many good things about this particular blend, particularly noting that at 46% and non-chill filtered provided a complete flavor palate for the taster.  Produced by Angus Dundee Distillery, this a new and welcome import to the LCBO.  This is a vatted malt (malt-blend or blended malt [meaning no grain whisky added]), providing a much richer and narrower flavor profile.  I personally find that grain whisky (corn, wheat, rye or otherwise), tend to broaden, flavor, and sweeten the spirit.  This isn't necessarily bad, but it's nice to see the depth that a bunch of malts can create when they play nicely together.  If you're a fan of Islay Scotch or would like to try something smokey and fantastic, or know of a 'peat-head'.  Give this a try. $65 for a bottle, served @ 46% ABV with no chill-filtering.  You can't really go wrong.  LCBO item number #223719 should be sought after, but I think it's almost all gone.  Recently; Ralfy did a quick review on this vatted malt; and can be viewed here.

That's all that we got, but not all is lost; more is to come soon enough whisky mates.  Until next time enjoy a dram for me.