January 19/2013 Vintages release

Well mid way through the month, and I've finally got all my reviews in hand.  It's been a while and I'm sorry for the delay, but I can't be everywhere and at work at the same time.  There are quite a few bits of ground to get through so let's check into whats on tap for us.

 First up will be Gordon & Macphail's Whisky Liqueur.  Yes, I do diversify my interests and there are some really interesting spirits out there, but Liqueurs don't usually do it for me.  I've sort of grown out of the super sweet mixers and sippers, but as I recently tasted this at an event, it should be included.  Dunkeld Atholl Brose is the name of Gordon & Macphail's Whisky Liqueur.  There is a whole story of the last lord of the Isles that fled from persecution and was foiled by a mixture of whisky, honey, herbs and oats.  But I'm not reading into that currently (you get a reprieve from the history lesson for now...), I'm more into the beauty of the liqueur.  It's quite sweet (to be expected), but over shaved ice it would be a real after dinner treat.  The nose is sweet and filled with a complex note of eucalyptus, menthol and roasted oats.  There is a sweet honey note and some hints of herbs (like cardamom and clove), but I found it a little cloyingly so.  Hence the ice comment (I can add ice to this because it's not straight whisky but a liqueur).  My dad has always been a fan of Drambuie with shaved ice, so I'm thinking this might make a much higher quality replacement to that after a rich meal.  This is a well crafted liqueur, and should you be into such things you're looking at $50 for a half litre bottle.  Check you local LCBO <HERE> for your bottle.

  Enough about that, lets get down to the good stuff.  First up is one of my favourite Speysiders... err Highlanders... wait... High-Speysider? (Everywhere I see their bottles they're credited as both, so I'm not really sure anymore.  I'll stick with Highland as that's what it says on my bottle). Glenfarclas 105, a cask strength 10 year old sherry monster.  Be ready for a slap in the face with a whopping 60% ABV!  This is a strong and brutish dram, but don't think of it as being all brawn and no beauty. When you get over the muscle flex there is an incredibly beautiful floral, spicy, sort of warmth in this whisky.  The nose on this is fantastic, hugely rich with oily sherry, grape and malt almost overwhelming everything.  The longer you play with this, the better it gets; and it takes quite a while to loosen up but can be convinced with some water.  There is a deep rich raisin and sweet spice cake note, the grape note settles and sweetens quite a bit (much akin to crape syrup), and there are tonnes of sweet malt and deep sherry oak spice.  In fact there are lots of spices in the nose and the palate; think of a bulk foods store or even a spice shop.  The nose and palate both exude an oily note that becomes some sort of toasted oily nut (like Brazil nuts maybe).  There is so much happening in that glass it's almost hard to put a name on everything.  Think of this as like putting your face out a car window on the highway... awful hard to smell the fields of flowers, but if you slow the car down and take your time you'd be surprised what you pass along on your journey.  This is a journey in a glass (so to speak), and comes highly recommended. Yes it's expensive at $82/bottle, but you're getting a hell of a bottle of Scotch!  Check your local LCBO <HERE> for your bottle.

  Another returning bottle left over from the Robbie Burns celebration; Isle of Arran Robbie Burns Single Malt.  This is a simple fruity and spicy bottle of great quality single malt whisky, at a reasonable deal (LCBO rules apply here).  What you're getting is a non chillfiltered, no colour added Isle of Arran 8 year old single malt (or so I've been told through the rumour mill), that is endorsed by the World Burns federation.  Coming in at only 40% for $42 doesn't seem like a great deal until you taste the spirit.  What's in the glass is a fruity and spicy malt that will get you hooked, and keep your attention.  The nose is very forward fruity, lots of pears and green apples with notes of vanilla and toffee.  The palate is lively and spicy, lots of baking spices (more cassia and cardamom), and quite a punch of heat like ginger and pepper.  The finish is short, but very rewarding with lots of wood spice and fruit preserves.  This isn't a deep contemplating dram, but rather a light-hearted single malt that doesn't always take itself seriously.  Treat this as a gateway malt to an evening of tasting, it makes a great first dram to warm up your tastebuds before delving into the bigger malts of the evening.  This, for me, was the gateway malt to the Arran distillery profile.  I bought my bottle a couple of years back for $38, and dug into it right away.  It was an eye opener, and really got me into researching the drams a little deeper.  I'd suggest you check your local LCBO <HERE> for your bottle, and at only $42 it's a pretty slick deal well worth hunting for.

  Tomintoul 16 is the next bottle on our listing.  Tomintoul (pronounced Tome-in-tool), is a gentle Speysider which is owned by the independent company Angus Dundee (as of 2000 when it was purchased from Whyte & Mackay).  Their 21 year old was released to our shelves not that long ago (review HERE), and the 16 is no newcomer to our shores.  I'll admit that I like the 'Speyside-Glenlivet' moniker on the label; it gives you a peek into the heritage of the dram. I'm not so crazy over the colouring and the 40% ABV, but seeing as this is a nit-picky thing for me, I won't hold it against them.  I'm quite a fan of gentle whiskies and this is a great example.  I feel the asking price of $95 is a bit high, but then again the 21 is only $125, so it's not far off the mark; and most importantly you're supporting the little guys in the industry.  What's in the glass is a great floral-sweet dram.  Very soft nose with hints of field flowers and honey, some notes of fresh leather and distant roasted nuts.  In the mouth it's very full with more fruit creme and honey taking the reins.  There's a lot going on in the palate, rich roasted nuts, linseed oil and ripe pears.  There are hints of barley sugar and rich custard, with subtle notes of wood spice and candied orange in the background.  The finish is quite nice, still quite fruity and spicy with a running vanilla cream and subtle wood smoke in the background, very light but medium in length.  Either way, should you feel flush enough to grab a bottle at the LCBO prices, check <HERE> for the 16 year old and <HERE> for the 21 which is a sublime sipper.  I don't think you'll be disappointed in either dram.

  Last but not least is the marketing juggernaut 'Thor' from Highland Park (I think you can see where this is going already...).  It's a limited edition 16 year old from the 'Valhalla Collection', arriving in a smug wooden 'Viking Ship' package, proclaiming itself to be a great warrior god of old. Pfft, yeah you guys really cooked up some stories for this one.  The case features a pair of Norse bowsprits carved from oak surrounding a glass oval bottle (similar to the modern HP bottles but with thicker more natural glass to give it some character).  Be forewarned though, it's huge!  It will take up a small end table in any room.  It's so large that when I first noticed it, it was blocking my view of a hand-blown XO cognac bottle in a display case (think of something around the size of a Louis XIII bottle).  Let me just say that at almost foot across, this packaging is more than a little excessive. To top that off the price tag rests at $250; I both appreciate what they've created, but feel that the marketing monster has fattened itself on all your ideas.  Checking the bottle I'm rewarded with 52.1% ABV, but the colour leads me to point the finger at some heavy colouring.  My unrequited jabs aside, what lies within the bottle is what we're interested in, so I'll delve into my notes on that.  It's a great spirit, with good depth of character.  The nose is vibrant and expressive with lots of hot notes and earthy tones.  There are notes of fresh cut ginger, macerated plums and sweet barley syrup, but behind this there are notes that I'm not crazy over.  There's a metallic earthy note, and a slight violet sharpness note (these typically arise in bad whisky).  There is also the stereotypical HP aromatic smoke and subtle peat, and that drying sensation that makes my mouth start to water.  The earthy note is fine with me, in fact it's quite nice and deep (like wet garden soil), but it's the metallic notes and the violets that make me worried as these are precursors to bad whisky in my previous experience (see most Bowmore DB's from the 80's).  In the mouth there is a very strong dry burn with overly hot ginger snap cookies... it needs some water to relax.  Upon hosing the mighty Thor down, we are rewarded with herbal vanilla and dark yellow fruits (like ripe peach and mango), mingling on a warm malty base.  There is still quite a kick of baking spices (especially cinnamon), and wood in the finish making it very dry and intense but not overly long.  I also found an orphan note of mint (which is a marker of excellent old school style whisky), but it seems out of place here; almost placed there to fool us into believing this is better quality than it is.  I dunno... I'm not sold on the marketing ploy and the whisky itself isn't what I expected after hearing so much about this.  As great as it should be, it never seems to live up to what they sold to us.  It looks like what we have is a Thor cosplayer (Wiki reference HERE);  it's a great outfit but underneath is just another kid from the block looking to show off to his friends at a comic convention.  Should you feel the need to toss $250 away, please contact me personally and I'll recommend 2-3 bottles far more worthy of your hard earned money and time.  Check your local LCBO <HERE> to see the boat bottle in person.

  Well there we have it, January has been finally completed, lots of interesting bottles, but not a lot of substance (IMHO).  There are much fewer bottles coming in February (Thank goodness), but still some very good things coming our way.  So ladies and gents, until next time keep your stick on the ice and the ice out of your glass.

LCBO Vintages Release for January 2012

Happy New Year to all my loyal readers! With a new year comes new whisky, new friends and new events.  So what does this mean for you?  More blogging and work on my end will mean more rewards for you the reader.  That being said, lets begin with the LCBO vintages line up for January and the special imports for Robbie Burns Day.

For the January 07/2012 release we have a few peaty selections brought in specifically for the great Scot himself - Robbie Burns.  In honor of Robbie Burns Day (January 25), a feast is held in which Haggis is a central item and an Address to A Haggis is traditionally read before dinner.  Check out Robert Burns World Federation for further information on the beloved Scottish poet and for ideas to plan a Burn's night of your own.

First up a not so classic, but very becoming Bowmore.  Bowmore Laimrig (Gaelic for pier, dock, or wharf or something along those lines I'm told); is a 15 year old, heavy sherryied, cask strength, unchillfiltered Islay monster.  With notes of robust sherry, almonds, rich figs, coca and cherries are balanced with the typical wet peat, campfire smoke, sulphur, brine and burnt rubber notes of a true Bowmore.  From what I understand, the majority of this will end up in the hands of  Bowmore collectors (think of them as Coca-Cola collectors but for alcohol).  Either way this be a dragon that require slaying with some water.  By some, I mean quite a bit!  It can handle a good dollop (at 54.5% ABV), and with it reveals more rich red fruits, floral notes and quells some of the smoke and flames.  The nose softens and it becomes quite palatable.  This is a thick and heavy dram, but sold at a respectable $98.95, it's not a bad investment into a CS Bowmore.  Check your local LCBO for Sku #263681.

Also released in this round Hazelburn CV from Springbank Distillers.  This is a triple distilled Scotch from the Campbeltown region, and is made with non-peated barley.  The CV is new to the LCBO, and very similar to the Hazelburn 8 year old (with the exception being this is created from 6-10 year old casks vatted together).  For 12 dollars cheaper than the 8 year old, you'll get the lots of citrus and herbal notes on the nose.  Fresh spice cake (orange peel, ginger cloves), and vanilla on the palate.  There are some interesting and slightly unpleasant notes though like acetone, and warm blood (that metallic fruity note).  It's a medium body but short finish make for a refreshing whisky.   I don't want to come off as an ageist, but the 8 year old has much more going on and seems to have worked out the few kinks experienced here.  Check your local LCBO for Sku #262709 for the CV bottling, and Sku #180380 for the 8 year old.

Also released in this round is the Laphroaig 10.  Intricate smoke and sweet barley come through in this dram.  Jim Murray gave it a 91, and for only 10 bucks more than the quarter cask ($69.95), I think the 10 year old is a seriously good buy.  I am still working my way into the heavy peats, and I found this to be a very good representation of what a good peat is.  That being said, I'm somewhat new to peated whisky and you can take that how you will.  The nose shows immense smoke and sour peat notes.  Layers of brine, seaweed and sweet barley grains feather through the whisky.  In the mouth, the grain sweetness cuts through to take centre stage, and the olive brine follows.  There is an earthiness that accents the peat and brine making the mouth feel longer, and the finish linger. Check your local LCBO for Sku #248997, and grab yourself a bottle.

Last but not least for Robbie Burns day is another peat form the Isle of Mull.  The non peated Tobermory (brother to the peated Ledaig) arrives in a 10 year old form for $61.95. Arriving in at 46.3% ABV and 'un chillfiltered' written right on the box; this make me a pretty happy guy!  In fact, stopping by their website, they have an excellent video demonstration that shows what chillfilteration works, and what it strips out of the Whisky.  All that aside, the nose shows wonderful grassy notes with sweet cereal grains and citrus notes.  In the mouth it shows the gingerbread and fruit notes with a slight hint of brine and oak. Medium body, short finish, but an excellent whisky.   Check your local LCBO for Sku #37259 for availability.

There is one more bottle that got a special page to itself, and I'll admit I'm a huge fan of this distillery, Mortlach 15 year old.  They don't have a web page, or much information about themselves or their product.  They don't put out an original bottling, in fact the only bottle of recent memeory is the Flora & Fauna which failed to capture much of the distillery's majesty.  This whisky is another one of the core components of the Johnnie Walker blends.  Though Diageo doesn't bottle their own, some can still be found in the hands of the independent bottlers.  It's really a shame that so much gets blended down as I am in love with the complex noses and heavy, chewy flavors of Mortlach. I really believe that if they bottled their own product once in a while, they might gain their own following.  This bottling comes from Gordon & MacPhail's Distillery Labels lineup and totes an age of 15 years.  With warm sweet malt on the nose to open, flowers, fruits, maple sugar, wood smoke, and orange peel are present.  There is a sulphury note from the heavy sherry influence that somewhat dissipates, and doesn't deter from the nose.  In the mouth, rich dried fruits, with hints of sherry, chocolate, roasted almonds,  gentle dried floral notes and oranges.  This is a very well-rounded whisky with a medium finish.  An excellent addition to any collection or cabinet.  Check your local LCBO for Sku #262873, and grab a bottle for $99.95.

For the January 021/2012 release there are a few more stragglers for the Robbie Burns celebration and a few welcome additions.  Let's delve into the release and see what's worth your buck!

Let's start with the big guns this time!  Laphroaig 18 makes a reappearance at the LCBO, but at a massive cost!  $180 per bottle is a hefty fine for the golden spirit, especially when a 2 minute Google search nets me prices in the 30-40% less range.  All bitching aside, this is a wonderful dram!  Deep rich barley cream blend softly and subtly with the peaty fires of a typical Laphroiag.  This is a far deeper dram that the 10 year old, with an incredible richness that the extra few years provide. Check you local LCBO [Sku #183368] for locations.  If you happen to have an overtime cheque or 2, go for it, otherwise find it at a tasting bar or go in with a group of friends on it.

Next up, is another return for Robbie burns day, the Isle of Arran Robbie Burns single malt (see above for their connection to the World Burns Society).  This is a no age statement, 40% single malt whisky.  This is an interesting sort of dram, Arran spirit, with a younger maturation. With plenty of fresh apples and green fruits on the nose, and hints of cinnamon and ginger snap cookies.  This is a pleasing well-rounded dram, albeit simple, that will put a smile on your face and won't break your bank at only $40.  I grabbed a bottle last year around this time when they showed up, and have been pleasingly rewarded with the Arran malt.  Check your local LCBO [Sku #981084], for a bottle.

Also released is another Highland monster!  Dalmore 12 year old single malt arrives again in all it's stag head emblazoned glory.  This is a really rich dram with heavy sherry overtones, and the colour to match!  Dark amber in colour (most likely assisted via e150), and only 40% ABV.  This is possibly one of the prettiest bottles I've seen at the LCBO for an entry level whisky.  A golden stag's head is emblazoned on the front of the bottle and the black embossed labels all feature shiny gold writing.  Presentation aside, the nose shows deep rich plums, roasted almonds, orange marmalade and dark chocolate.  The palate is intense, with citrus notes dominating the palate, notes of cocoa powder, spiced coffee cake and hints of sherry pepper throughout.  The finish is excellent, starting smooth and ending up dry.  At only $65/bottle this is a definite buy for someone who wants to experience a classically styled Scotch whisky!  Check your local LCBO [Sku #38901], for locations near you.

Last up, but certainly not the least is the Dailuaine arriving via Gordon & MacPhail's Connoisseurs Choice line.  That's pronounced Dal-you-ayn for us non-Scottish folks.  This is a core component to the Johnny Walker lineup, and is a not often seen distillery.  This is another bottling from the independent Gordon & MacPhail's group, bottled at 13 years old and 43% ABV, it's not a bad deal at $65.  The nose features fresh notes of vanilla and raisins with Sherry playing the lead.  The palate is a bit harsh, with a hot notes of fruit and toffee.
  This settles down a bit with water allowing more green fruit/grassy notes and citrus to present themselves.  Not a bad dram.  Check your local LCBO for Sku #263301.

So that's quite a bit to digest for all of you, but there are quite a few good releases this month.  Check out your local LCBO and seek out a tasting bar if you can too.  This is still the best method for trying before buying, and your best chance to evaluate a bottle to see if it's worth a place within your collection. So until next time, keep your stick on the ice and the ice out of your glass!

Robbie Burns Day [Belated]

   Happy Robbie Burns day (belated) to all.  As a special treat I shall recount my special evening with a few good friends at The Hunt.  I was cordially invited by a gracious couple (anuptowngal and wineguyTO), and their father-in-law to a special night with a tutored nosing and meal in honour of the Scottish poet Robbie Burns.

    The evening began with an address by The Hunt's very own Marcel Bregstein (the emcee for the evening and the club Sommelier), to the crowd.  Highland dancers followed, with traditional dancing and colourful outfits all lead in by a piper.  The piper then read the Address to A Haggis, and promptly had it distributed amongst the guests (small tastes only; sadly).  This being my second time having Haggis, I noted that this one seemed a wee bit on the dry side, but still quite excellent.  I am willing to admit that this is an acquired taste (and not one that I figured I would have acquired),  but it is quite delicious when prepared and splashed with a bit of Scotch.  Think of it like Kishka, a meat and meal sausage, made with heartier meat and a dash of blood.  Haggis is sheep's pick (heart, liver and lungs) mixed with onions, oats and spices all baked in a sheep's stomach.  Doesn't sound delicious?  If you think of it as eating a sausage, (a very rich and hearty sausage), it's quite delicious and makes for a very satisfying meal.

    The main guest was introduced next by the Sommelier.  Todd McDonald from PMA Canada, a 20 year veteran of scotch sales, on behalf of William Grants & Sons.  With him he brought a selection of Balvenie (12 Year old Doublewood and The 12 Year old Signature) and a selection of Glenfiddich samples (the LCBO available flight of 12-21 Years).  Being the proud owner of the entire flight (save the 18), this was not a blind tasting to yours truly.  We were treated to a visual tour of the Balvenie operation and explained how Scotch moves from grain to glass, through the distillation process.

  The beginning of the tastings started with the Balvenie 12 year old pair (Both the Doublewood and the Select Cask), which was to show us the difference in flavor between the two 12 year olds.  This expanded to include the Glenfiddich 12 to show the flavour comparison to it's sister distillery.  The 12 Select was sherry heavy casks, while the unique half and half maturation of both bourbon and sherry casks in the Doublewood was quite mild on the palate.  This was compared with the fresh and crisp flavours of the Glenfiddich 12 (lots of green apples, and sweet crisp malt).  We were enlightened to their particular methods of nosing whisky, some of which were a bit hard to wrap your head around.  Our speaker suggested that we water down the whisky to about 25% (oft called drowning a whisky), so that the aromas could easily escape the glass.  I let mine fly what was left of it's full colours (40% ABV isn't really much to call FULL colours).  Our taster was also an avid swirler, slightly teetering onto the aggressive hot tub swirling side.  I tried their method and ended up with one glass of wonderful aromas of honey and spice, but the spirit had become undrinkable as it was mostly water with a dash of whisky flavour.

    That aside, we carried on in our nosing class moving to the Glenfiddich 15 (the step up the line for those who seek richer notes than the 12).  This is a favourite of mine (having a wonderful blend of sherry, bourbon and fresh oak casks married together in a Solera vat), featuring a much richer malt note with lush sherry and honeycomb.  The marketing spiel of the Solera vat never being emptied was also dispelled at this time; noting that they build the flavour profile from the selected casks and then fill a vat; settle the whisky and bottle it all.  We then moved into the connoisseurs single malt (the Glenfiddich 18), which is comprised of 98% bourbon and 2% sherry.  An sharp whisky, not my favourite as the heavy wood notes dominate the palette, but still quite nice nonetheless.  Concluding with the 21 Year old Havana Cask (no longer called such in order to import to the US), which was a smooth and delicious finish to the tasting.  The demerara and rum notes sparkle through on the nose, and there is a fantastic scent of banana in the background which almost turn herbal (into banana leaf).  The smooth mouth feel and the long and sumptuous finish have made it a favourite of mine; so much so that I grabbed a bottle earlier this year.

  The dinner was fantastic; featuring spinach salad with a fantastic Glenlivet vinaigrette, Salmon in a champagne sauce with braised leeks, and finished with a whisky chocolate mousse and butterscotch ice cream.  Incredible evening with incredible friends, and a fantastic way to celebrate Mr. Burn's birthday.  I think I'll have to draft up some notes on the 21 year old in the future.