Surpirse... It's a Whiskey Review!

     Okay, so it's not the article I had promised; that's still in the barrel awaiting some finishing remarks and pictures.  That's not quite ready to happen yet, but instead what I've got for you is a pair of tasting notes from a recent trip to the LCBO tasting bar.  I finally got to try my fair share of John Jacob Rye, and also a single malt from my favourite distillery Mortlach.

     First up, a small batch rye from Washington state.  Fremont Mischief Distillery is a new upstart distilleries in the Seattle area, producing a limited number of products, and successfully creating a name for itself.  Their backbone seems to be an 8 year old whiskey (coming from Canada; for the time being as they begin their own distillation with local grains), but they also produce a 2-3 year old rye named in honour of the master distiller's grandfather.  John Jacob Rye is listed as 'perfect for sipping with ice or as the base to your favourite whisky cocktail'.  Upon reading this I wasn't so enthused to get my hands on a glass.  At a recent trip to the tasting bar, I noticed the bottle and decided to tempt fate.  What ended up in my glass was far more than I expected.  Let me throw the notes below for you to peruse:

• Colour:  Rich amber bordering on a yellow/goldish highlight
• Body:  Thick and oily, not unlike good Canadian rye.  The drops seem to take forever to form and run slowly back into the glass
• Nose: The first note I got was super sweet butter cream frosting and vanilla ice cream.  Lots of rye pepper and fruits, making the nose densely thick.  The pepper seems very hot like white ground pepper, but has a bright black fruit note like really good Tellicherry peppercorns.  There begins a subtle waft of fruits and an interesting counterbalance of fresh motor oil.  A little water brings out dried mandarin peel. and a caraway rye bread-y note.  In the background there seems to be a grapefruit candy note.  With time it turns more into a wheat sugary note, or a something like a sweet-grass note.
• Palate:  The mouth feel is very smooth; luxuriously so!  The body does seem a bit thin here (showing its youth), but fruits abound!  Dried apricot shows up here, along with a peach brandy note too.  The pepper doesn't subside here, but instead turns into warmth through the dram.  Some baking spices are present here, but nothing really standing above one another.
• Finish:  This part is sadly short.  Lots of rye bite and oak heat come through.  Vanilla pudding drifts away into oak warmth and the ever present wood spices.
• Empty Glass:  This shows the age again, furniture polish and fresh oak (not so great), but behind all of it is dried pickling spices and dill (I think putting a few more years of age on this will bring out these notes more in the dram).

      All in all; I was very impressed with such a young whisky.  It's a really creamy and soft whisky with a reserved bite to it.  I did note an odd label on my bottle at the noting that the contents were actually 42%ABV, not the 40% listed on the bottle.  This leads me to believe the batches are pretty small and that this might be a bottle for the rye lovers to look for out there.  Check your local LCBO <HERE> for your bottle, priced at $57.95 is a little on the steep side, but worth checking out a dram at your local favourite whisky bar, should you run across it.

    Next up is my absolute favourite distillery... that is never bottled by it's owners (with a couple of exceptions).  Mortlach, the monster of Speyside with such notes as: aftershave, pork fat, double smoked bacon, and burnt car tires.  This is a backbone to Johnnie Walker blends in the blue and black range, typically heavily sherried, it provides that lip smacking and unctuous note in the black blend.  Sadly though, it will only usually be seen as an independent bottler' single malt as Diageo seems to not be willing to show off a tour-de-force type malt.  That being said, why would I review this now during the Summer?  Well the Dun Bheagan 12 year old bottling I ran across is anything but typically heavy sherry winter whisky.  This 12 year old hailing from cask #93392 and producing 907 bottles at 46% ABV, called to me on the shelf.  I'm a softy for this monster but, when I got it in my glass, the notes will speak for themselves.

• Colour:  Light gold with pink highlights (looks like a good sherry cask; and there is no colour or chill-filtration being done here)
• Body:  Medium-light with fast forming drips that run at a medium pace back to the pool below (wait a minute, this isn't seeming very heavy and brooding?)
• Nose:  Holy cow!  Hold onto your socks for this one.  There is a wave of sweet floral (like the little flowers in my mum's garden), and red berries all over the place.  Wait a minute, this isn't Mortlach like I know it at all... this is like summer vacation Mortlach! Red fruits and sweet malt abound with notes of overripe strawberry all over the place.  A little water gets added and the beast begins to emerge.  Strawberry pork roast (can you do that? if not I' going to be the first), that thick pork fat note comes with a sly hint of salt (like play-dough).  The nose remains berry sweet, but with a salty (not briny) tang, herbal notes begin to emerge.  The herbs seem very strong like pine needles or spruce tips, but also very shy and drawn back at the same time.
• Palate:  Sherry-berry sundaes.  The malt almost ends up a background player here, with wood spice rounding up the end.  The meatiness of Mortlach can be felt throughout the dram, but never over bearing.  There are hints of juniper and plum, with an almost mango undertone present.  With water it becomes richer, more earthiness and meatiness come forward now.  The wood spice sharpens and becomes a sort of all-spice note with a dried pine needles hanging about in the background.  Off in the distance amongst the pork roast and berries is a slight nod towards earwax.  This was one hell of a cask IMO!
• Finish:  This is medium and very satisfying.  Still floral and sweet but with a firm backbone of wood spice and a slightly creamy thickness (think homemade ice cream)
• Empty Glass: Strawberry jam and play-dough.  There is a surprising pop of spice tea and a hint of mint in the background.

    Well there you have it! I never though I'd see a Mortlach as a summer sipper; but the proof is in the notes.  The berry rich and sherry driven nose of this is intense and whimsical, something I could gladly enjoy over a Summer evening with good company.  This is a pretty expensive bottle for only a 12 year (coming in at a hefty $93), but the quality of the spirit shows itself an might be worth the investment.  You can find your own bottle at your local LCBO <HERE>.

     So there you have a pair of very interesting bottles.  The first being a very small batch produced rye with some very interesting rich notes.  The second being a fantastic summer whisky for anyone looking something sweet and easily approachable (which I find very difficult to say about Mortlach).  Much more to come for the blog.  I'm coming out of summer holiday mode, and getting back to writing; slowly.  Still to come, a meeting of bloggers, a spirits show, the remainder of the Vintages releases from the LCBO for the summer, and a few more articles too.  As always: Keep your stick on the ice and the ice out of your glass.

April/May LCBO Vintages Releases

    First off let me make the excuse of being very busy (even thought I can also say that's a lie), I've been fairly lazy.  I can't lie about that as this post has been in the barrel for about 2 months.  So it's not that I forgot to post something, although that has happened before... but rather I haven't gotten around to sitting down at my computer to write something.  I'll lay claim that I've been drinking too much wonderful whisky with friends instead of writing.

  Let's start with May.  The LCBO saw fit to not release anything interesting in April 2013, so we're skipping that month.  That being said, the LCBO in it's KGB like control of all the on-goings of the alcohol industry in Ontario seems to have forgotten about May too for the most part.  There is only a single bottle released this month (remember we're in May here), but the glimmer of hope dawns on the horizon, golden delicious hope no less.  Late in the month, a very special blend was released. A blend that has won some well garnered acclaim over the last couple of years, and an almost cult like following.

May 25/2013 Release:

    So what may you ask that has me all atwitter (HA, twitter pun... yeah that's kinda sad now that I look at it).  The blend in question is The Tweedale.  I've been hearing about this for a couple of years now and am really excited to get my hands on a glass of this.  It really is quite a special blend and I think the notes speak for themselves.

• The Colour:  I'm going to call this early fall gold.  Like a golden delicious apple, bright and shiny with hints of amber running through.  There isn't a lick of spirit caramel here; the bottle even tells me so.
• The Body:  A quick roll of the glass shows me a medium body.  The drops form slowly but run at a medium pace back to the glass.  Things are looking very up for this blend.
• The Nose:  Well now this is where we separate the men from the blended boys (ones by the names of Johnny and Jamie's Son).  The nose shows both youth and age quite well (subtle hint that there is some older whisky in here).  Lots of fresh notes, like fresh cut sweet grass (think fresh cut hay but a wetter sweeter note to it).  There is a barley sweetness here, sort of like breakfast cereal sweetness, and a slight hint of sulphur-y sherry.  This isn't bad sulphur, this is more along the lines of gentle distracting sulphur, that tends to turn up the sweet notes in the nose.  In the background I get hints of wood smoke (very subtle), and a dry rubber note.  There are also notes of camphor or minty/menthol drifting in and out of the far reaches.  I even get a note of sweet wine (like Madeira), on the nose after it oxidizes a bit.  This is a wonderful nose.
• The Palate: There is a sharp start to the palate, lots of pepper warmth with sweetness bubbling through.  There is a butter warmth and oat-y sweetness with a hint of mouldy barley (it's a sort of sourish sweet note that's not out of line, but in fact reflects nicely on the sweetness of the dram).  There is a slight peat smoke in the distance, but this is muddled by vanilla cream.  Towards the finish I'm getting a tartness like a fermented starch.
• The Finish:  The finish is a chameleon!  It starts short and sweet, but soon reemerges with Szechuan pepper and vanilla cream (if you don't know what Szechuan pepper is; it has a very distinct flavour and slight numbing sensation to the tongue.  This is a core spice of Szechaun cooking and goes famously with grilled meats and pork in any form).  There is a slight numbing sensation and more of the fresh cut sweet grass in the finish.  This time it seems like week old lawn clippings where they have started to ferment with a sweet and slightly sourish note.  Quite nicely summed up with hints of vanilla nd gentle wisps of smoke.
• The Empty Glass:  The empty glass reveals a whack of vanilla sweetness, custard-y and rich.  There is also a whack of sawdust, but it seems like soft woods, like basswood; reinforcing the sourish almost slightly bitter note that I found ran through the dram.

Okay, that's a lot to digest, and it might be worth reading over my notes again... but I'm going to say that The Tweedale Blend (Batch No. 3) is a cracker of a bottling.  This is definitely a bottling to look out for in your travels; I feel like this is one of the lost arts of the blend type bottles.  They just don't make them like they used to I guess is what I'm saying, but as it turns out someone is and is doing it with style and finesse.  I strongly suggest that you look out for this bottle at your local LCBO <HERE>.  Priced at $70/bottle for 46% NCF; it's a bit on the high side, but you paying for some excellent quality whisky in this dram.

Okay, what else have I missed..... well let's recount what happened.  Spirit of Toronto came and went and was a roaring success. The LCBO pretended to go on strike to sell out its shelves (or maybe that's just speculation on my part).  I finally got to meet some East Coast Whisky idols of mine.  I toured 40 Creek and Still Waters before the big Spirit of Toronot event (more on that to come shortly; with a very special set of notes).  I also sat back and learned to enjoy a dram with friends, summer arrived and blew us out with some heat.  Tamdhu reopened its doors as did Glen Keith, both of which I'm very happy to see operating again.  And then came Father's Day.... that bane of my existence with the LCBO.

  My mother told me if you don't have nothing nice to say, don't say nuthin' (That's a Forrest Gump quote for you there).  So I'm finding it really hard to do that about the LCBO's "selections" for Father's Day 2013.  Some good selections were made this year, such as the Bowmore Darkest 15, while others were questionable at best, like the typical Macallan 20-something-or-other for $1000+.  The only bottle that caught my eye was a little rye called John Jacôb from Fremont Mischief Distillery in Washington, but I still have yet to find and taste this.  Unfortunately it will go by the wayside as having 'peaked my interest' but not gotten any farther for the time being.  I'm going to still hunt it down and try it as I can't leave you wondering, so if anyone has samples that they'd like to trade out shoot me a DM on twitter @ScotchGuyTO.  For the time being I'm going to conclude this post and start the next one about Spirit of Toronto, 40 creek and finally meeting the Lassie.  Keep your stick on the ice and the ice out of your glass ladies and gents, and I'll see you shortly with a special presentation. In the mean time, enjoy  the kitty facepalm as my condolences for not blogging more often.

February LCBO Vintages Releases

I'll apologize in advance, as this may end up being slightly shorter than expected, there were some pressing things in my life this past month.  On the other hand, there weren't many bottles put out his month and the bottles that were released aren't actually that deep sort of brooding Whisky.  In fact this month has been all American Whiskey, and all the bottles are simple everyday drams at reasonable prices.  As a matter of fact I've reviewed two of the three bottles already, so I'll use those reviews as reference.  Let's take a look into what was released to us at the start of the Month.


February 02, 2013 Vintages Release:

The first bottle up is Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey.  This is a richly flavoured Rye, lots of fruit and spice and quite sweet in the American Whiskey tradition.  This was released previously in June 2012 (Review can be found HERE).  I recall it being quite fruity and peppery hot, which I previously liked very much, but now I'm not quite sold on.  It is still a great Whiskey, but I feel it could use some further years of aging and mellowing.  Check your local LCBO <HERE> for a bottle to call your own.  Priced at $46 it's not a bad deal and served at at 45% ABV it's quite the punch.

Now that I look at the LCBO site, scratch that last remark.  I don't see any bottle listed for item #205666.  Maybe I really am that far behind the 8 ball and completely missed this bottle, or maybe that speaks to the spirit within.

Okay in light of that situation, the next bottle has no fear of leaving our shelves anytime soon as it seems to show up yearly in the releases.  Eagle Rare 10 year old is a wonderful introduction to American Bourbon.  This was reviewed twice previously by myself in both October 2011 and July 2012 (Link <HERE>).  I do adore this bourbon as it exemplifies the American bourbon nose.  There is a ton of cherries and woody vanilla.  It's so incredibly smooth which may be dangerous when tasting as a bottle seems to disappear faster than you realize.  There really is quite a lot going on the bottle and I really suggest you grab one; at $48 and 45% ABV they are well worth the investment as an everyday bourbon.  Check your local LBCO <HERE> for a bottle.  Now also to note, I see the earmark for the Eagle Rare 17.  I have no idea when it will be in, but you can bet I'll be on that one as soon as they show up.

February 16, 2013 Vintages Release:
That sums up the first release, and in the second batch there is only a single bottle.  Don't fret as this bottle is a sort of overlooked and well worth it kind of bottle.  What may come as a surprise to most and a disappointment to others, we receive W.L. Weller 12 year old.  I have to admit, I saw the W.L. Weller come up in the searches and just about lost my marbles; but sadly this is only the 12 year old variant and not the Sazerac Antique version.  I have had the antique collection variant and will vouch that is is beyond amazing; but let's not loose focus here.  What we have is a 12 year old 45% ABV Kentucky Straight wheated Bourbon.  This isn't the prettiest bottle on the shelf, but what dwells within is a rich and hearty trip to the south.  Loads of fruit on the nose, cherries, apricots and melons.  There is also a ton of fruity vanilla (Mexican vanilla seems to bear this trait to my nose), with a heavy hit of burnt toffee and creamy milk chocolate.  In the palate there is even more to love, chocolate and wood spice mingle easily over the tongue with cherry cough drops and prosciutto melon hors d'oeurves hinting in the distance with a vanilla cream sauce paving the way.  There is a rich earthiness (but not a dirty note), more like mineral oiliness that makes the mouth feel seem thick and rich.  The finish shows another side though, very light, crisp and short making this a very easy to drink bourbon.  There is a the warm oak and more vanilla caramel in the finish with some hints of new leather, but nothing quite as heavy as you'd think (it is a wheated Bourbon and as such tends to be a bit lighter in the body department).  This is a star in disguise, and should be on anyone's shelf or bar.  Served at 45% ABV and priced at only $45; I'd strongly suggest you search out a bottle at your local LBCO <HERE> because once you've tasted it, you'll want more.  I had mentioned that this might disappoint some people, and by that I mean the collectors that snatched up every bottle of Van Winkle Lot 12B that appeared on our shelves within a week.  Now the secret to this is that Julian Van Winkle is their master distiller.  That name is sending up flags for collectors everywhere as they drained the LCBO of stock a while back including the standard 10 year old variant.  This is very, very, very similar to the famed Lot 12 'B' bottling and exhibits the same remarkably wonderful nose and drinkability.  So should you have a bottle of 12B sitting that you don't want to open, try this and know what you're missing... then open your Van Winkle bottle and compare.  I do have a bottle myself of both Van Winkle offerings that came in last year, and I will be doing that comparison myself at some point.

So that does it for the February offerings, some good Bourbons to be had, and much more to come for March.  The usual St. Patrick's collection of Cooley bottles will be back and some new interesting bottles.  Keep your stick on the ice and the ice out of your glass and I'll be seeing you sometime soon.

January 05/2013 Vintages release

  Well here we are in a new year.  Someone once toasted 'I hope the best of 2012 is the worst of your 2013'.  The LCBO has seen fit to start the year of with only a single bottle of whisky, but boy what a dram it is!

  The first, last, and only dram this round is another bottling from isle of Arran distillers.  The Cask Strength 12 year old is a fantastic offering and a great bottle to finally hit our shelves!  I've been pretty excited to see this coming, and I'm really looking forward to getting my teeth into this one.  If your new to the blog, or haven't heard my ranting on about the big players in the whisky trade; I apologize in advance and I'll try to keep it short.  I've got nothing but praise to sing for Isle of Arran, they abide by some very simple wishes of the whisky community: No chillfilteration, no e150a colouring, and providing you (the connossieur) with higher proof than the standard 40% ABV.  These hallmarks in a bottle make the investment worth while because it shows respect for the whisky drinker (IMO).

  First up a little history lesson (everyone needs a little lesson from time to time).  Arran distillers is a relative newcomer to the whisky industry (distillation started in 1995), and is one of the few independently owned distilleries on the market.  Situated on the Isle of Arran, between Ayrshire and Kintyre, the distillery was built there for a couple of reasons.  The primary reason being that the micro-climate supplied by the Gulf Stream allows Arran malts to be matured slightly faster, providing greater reward for their work.  The purest water in Scotland was also found at Loch na Davie just north of Lochranza (where the distillery was built), supplying them with a fantastic quality source of water to begin the spirit construction from.  Their distillery manager, James MacTaggart, worked with Bowmore for 30 years. In his capacity as Arran's manager, he has been given a chance to run free with the spirit.  Their bottles proudly proclaim that within lies nothing but a pure spirit, with no chill filteration and no colour added to cloud your judgment.  Without any monkeying around; what's in your glass is a reasonable facsimile of what's in the barrel.

That aside, what we have here is a full on, high proof (54.1% ABV), limited edition bottling of their 12 year old spirit (12,000 is sort of limited).  This is a combination of first and second fill sherry hogsheads, giving a wonderful rich fruity overtone to the spicy Arran spirit.  Let's delve into the glass and see what we have.

The nose is wonderfully expressive, with huge amounts of sherry taking the forefront.  This is a great sherry nose, loads of red fruits and yellow fruits here.  As it settles, more peaches and apricots start to poke through along with macerated raisins, loads of baking spice (cloves, mace, nutmeg, and the like), sweet malt, and vanilla.  In the mouth, it's an explosion!  It's quite hot for the first sip, but settles quickly on the tongue.  It becomes very creamy and starts to stack up the spices.  There is quite a bit of peppery heat at the full 54%, but it's not unpleasant.  The baking spices seem stronger and sweeter now, with more cinnamon, mace and nutmeg driving the palate.  There is a subtle trickle of briny salinity throughout the palate and sweet barley sugar shines through underneath, bringing with it green pears and toasted oats.  The finish pushes the green fruits and spices back a bit, becoming more mulled in character.  Orange zest and worked oak provide a bitter note to counter act the sweet burnt sugar and spice cake notes.  The finish is quite long and very rewarding on this. Okay, I'll admit I'm a little taken with this one.  It's a hell of a dram but I feel it's a little overshadowed by my love of the distillery.  I thinks that's with good cause too; especially as they seem to be consistently be putting out said quality of product.

So that's all for the start of January, more to come soon.  Some interesting reviews coming up of a pair of Japanese blends. So as usual; stay tuned to this channel... err blog. Keep your stick on the ice, and the ice out of your glass.

December 8th/2012 Vintages Releases

So I missed my December deadline (Yeah, yeah so shoot me... I'm a busy guy sometimes), but then again there wasn't a whole lot that you would have missed with it.  This was the last release before the new year arrives for the LCBO, and in it is only a single new bottle.  Let's check into what was released and what's returning to the shelves.

First up is the re-stocking of 1792 Ridgemont Reserve Kentucky Bourbon.  This was reviewed in February of last year (Link Here).  It's an 8 year old beauty, with an equally great mouth filling rye rush of fruits, pepper and punch.  I still think it's a great deal even at the $50 asking price.  Lots of flavour to be found in this bottle and the nose alone is almost worth the price of admission.  Check your local LCBO <HERE> for a location near you.

Next up is a new pricing on The Balvenie 21 Portwood (Reviewed March 2012).  Somehow, even without ordering more stock, the LCBO has found it in the infinite wisdom to increase the price to $244.95 on this bottle.  That's clearly out of the range of most buyers, and should be off your radar to buy... trust me that's too much for too little whisky.  In stead I strongly suggest that you check around for a dram at your local bar or mooch one form a friend.  It's a worth dram, just not worth what they are asking IMO.  Now if it were non-chillfiltered and cask strength.... that's a different story.  Sigh, the wishes of a small time blogger against a global drinks giant.  A man can dream.

Last up is the only new bottle for this release.  The Benriach 12 Sherry Wood finish.  This is from an artisan run distillery, which means that there is no chillfiltration and a slightly higher ABV (46%).  This means that for you, the connoisseur, you'll get slightly more from your bottle.  More flavour and more value are two things close to my heart being an Ontarian; I need to get the most for the least from our liquor stores.

The colour is deep and rich amber with mahogany highlights.  The nose is thick with rich sherry red fruits, caramel and baking spices, rum soaked raisins and hints of dutch cocoa powder.  The mouth feel is good, a little overly sweet for my tastes lately, but still very good.  Loads of sherry sweetness comes across right away, followed by more sweet malt and then countered with nutmeg, roasted figs and more cocoa powder (not dutch this time, meaning no acidity).  The finish is medium and still adeptly sweet, but much better balanced with the spicy oak notes and vanilla residue.  This is a great introductory dram to how good a whisky can but it's going to lack challenge for experienced drinkers.  This to me sits perfectly as an after dinner dram, something about the sweetness is a little over powering for my regular drinking palate.  Check your local LCBO <HERE> for your bottle, priced a little on the high side at $67/bottle.

So that sums up 2012; lots of good news for everyone including a new blog spot, new Whisky group, and tonnes of new friends of twitter.  It's a great feeling to look back at what I started off hand and realize that what was a single point of interest has become so much more with so much to offer our Whisky community.  I feel privileged to be included in (to quote a fellow blogger @WhiskyLassie), the #Whiskyfabric.  Keep your eyes peeled to our blog as there is so much more coming down the pipe including destinations, bar reviews, bottle reviews, rare whisky and so much more.  So in conclusion (and you should know this by know); keep your stick on the ice and the ice out of your glass.

LCBO Vintages Release for December 2011

Well 'tis that time of year, and the Vintages releases are short (just like the days).  The last release for this year was done on December 10th, and the rest of this year is dedicated to their Christmas cheer book and sparkling wines for New Years.  What came out during this release?

Blanton's Single Barrel Special Reserve Bourbon:   This is a fantastic single barrel bourbon from the deep south!  Blanton's specializes in single barrel bourbon production.  This is a premium bourbon that comes from only a single warehouse in the Buffalo Trace distillery.  In fact they only come from the 'centre cut' of Warehouse H (very centre), when the aging seems to take place perfectly for the spirit.  Since 1984 Blanton's has been producing single barrel bourbon and was one of the first to offer such a product.  Their website has some of the best laid out information I've ever seen and can be found by clicking the distillery name at the start of the article of HERE for the Special Reserve.  I'm not crazy over the chill filtration in Scotch (but I've never seen a non-chillfiltered bourbon), but I really appreciate the forward information.  If I get my hands on any samples I'll be more than happy to provide the review.  Check your local LCBO for Sku #558320, bottles are $76 each.  There is also a Blanton's single barrel standard available for $65 under LCBO Sku #255349 (it's also 45% ABV).

Second in this short release is Glenfarclas 12.  Glenfarclas is one of my absolute favorite distilleries as they provide an appealing spirit geared towards Whisky lovers.  All malts are presented without colour added and served at 43%! Though special bottlings like the 15 & 40 are 46%, and the 105 is a whopping 60%.  Sadly though they still chill filter the whisky (confirmed via Ralfy), but that can easily be changed to create a full craft presentation.  Run by an independent distiller (J & G Grant), they produce some of the best sherry casked Scotches available in my personal opinion.  The 12 year old is no exception to this rule! Fresh and light, the sherry influence is still young but I found lots of oak notes (worked, toasted, and some fresh or green wood), cereals, a twist of a sour note, an interesting brine/salty note, heather and almond.  A little hot on the palette, this will benefit from an addition touch of water to open the nose.  I'd call this a good deal at $64, so check out your local LCBO for Sku #142182.

Sadly, this is actually the last post of the year, and I will resume sometime after the Holidays.  I'm off to the Dominican for a much needed vacation, but I promise to come back and work up some more spirits for review.  Most importantly, I do want to thank you (on the other side of the screen), for reading my blog as this actually means quite a lot to me!  Enjoy your holidays, and your whisky responsibly.

Keep your stick on the ice, and the ice out of your glass!

LCBO Vintages Release for November 2011

Well I was called out on my lack of updates.  Good to hear that people are really reading something that I produce, it really brings me a warm fuzzy feeling.  Like that first dram on a cold winter day, warmed to the cockles.

So what came out in November that looks delicious and is worth your hard-earned pennies?  Let's take a look!  Due to the mass releases in October, there are only 2 for November.  The first being November 12th:

The first item we see is Auchentoshan Three Wood [LCBO Sku #70532 / $76.95] -  The last time I tasted it, it was woody, sherry, and spicy hot (as in my mouth and lower extremities of my brain are on fire).  I don't know how old this is (there isn't an age statement), but it definitely needs some water to loosen it up.  There is a lot of wood at play in this bottle, and I'm honestly not a big fan.  It seems a little too busy, with a reliance on over sherry-ing to cover up a rough young spirit.  I do love sherry finishes however, but my money goes to the Auchentoshan 12-year-old [LCBO Sku #107359] at $54.  It has a much better balance with a much more subtle sherry finish that I find doesn't overwhelm the palette.  There is a ton of caramel in the bottles, giving that weird electric marmalade colour, but they do redeem themselves by serving the spirit at 43%.  Being heavily chill-filtered the bottle is immaculately clear though, and I believe that this takes some serious body away from the spirit.  I am a huge lowland fan, and really believe that if Diageo took the time and created something without all the gubbins, they would have a real prize.  On a side note, there are some excellent bottles from independent distillers out there for Auchentoshan; but they are few and far between.  Lowlands have a rich, refined, soft and smooth palette that suits drinking at any time, I only wish there were more of them left!

Next up is Bruichladdich 7-year-old Port Cask finish.  If you know me, then you'll know I'm a sucker for a good glass of port and this is no exception!  Rich marmalade and copper tones throughout the scotch (no colour added), this gives way to rich dark fruits, oats, and gentle smoke and brine.  This is an excellent foray into the Islay subculture and a great showcase of quality finished scotch.  At only 7 years this tastes like a much older whisky, and the port notes back up the smoke and peat with a rich and vibrant fruitiness all their own.  Served at a healthy 46%, this is produced by an indie distiller for real drinkers like us.  Check your local LCBO [Sku #220905], bottles are $95 (a bit steep, but worth the investment come the first heavy snowfall; you know the one where you'll be sitting indoors watching those fat flakes fall to the ground).

Last, but certainly not least is one of my favorite distilleries, Isle of Arran.  Their entry into the peat saturated world began in 2004 and continues today with Machrie Moor (said Mach-ree More).  This is absolutely one of my favorite peated scotches currently.  I'm not a huge smoke and peat fan as yet, and am still developing a nose for what lays beyond the smoke and brine, but the sweet, punchy and tropical fruitiness of Arran malt characteristics blends so well with the gentle peat and smoke.  If you're not sure about testing the waters of Islay, go for Machrie Moor!  Named after a the peat bog, the Machrie area of the Firth of Clyde area is one of few areas to have Megaliths (standing stones like Stonehenge).  Once said to even been home to Robert the Bruce, and legendary characters such as Fingal.  Fingal's hound, Bran, is represented on the tin/bottle anchored to one of the stones.  As usual with all Arran malts, no colour, no chill-filtration, and served at 46% gets the grades.  Apples and iodine, pears and smoke, vanilla and smokey bergamot on the nose.  This became a favorite at the WhiskeyLive show in Toronto with our tasting group.  Check your local LCBO [Sku #254920], bottles are $72.

I'm going to mention two other spirits that caught my eye on this release:

Moniack Mead - a traditional mead from Scotland.  It has a wonderful rich amber colour.  Nose shows clover and spices.  It's marked as a sweet, so I'd expect it to be around the same sweetness as a port, and at only $16 it would make a great cellar companion.  Check you local LCBO for Sku #987263.

Quinta do Noval Black Port - A dark and serious entry into the competitive world of ports.  Stewed prunes and black fruits on the nose with an intensity that lasts into the finish.  This sounds like something tasty, and something that you could sip with friends after dinner.  At $25 it would be worth a try, or drop it into the cellar for a year or two.  LCBO Sku #235689.

The second November release for the 26th was a little bit lacking. Featuring only 2 malts and a couple of honorable mentions.

First up is Bowmore with the 15-year-old Darkest.  This is a heavy sherry finished Bowmore, produced by a big box distiller.  It's a good one, but it's not my sort of Bowmore.  Dark auburn colour (yeah that's pretty real AKA a big gob of caramel e150a),  and so clear you can see the third or fourth bottle behind it (that's some seriously heavy filtration).  This is the most popular Islay in the world, and this is reflected as they colour and filter out all the best parts to make it super attractive to shoppers in the ever competitive world of Scotch.  It is a heavily sherried Islay, with notes of dark chocolate, raisin and nutmeg on the nose.  I found it a bit lively on the palette; and with a bit of water citrus and worked oak come out, with peat and smoke to follow.  There is a dark rum note in the background that seems sort of alienated, but not out of place.  Check your local LCBO [Sku #503649] for a bottle, be forewarned though at $90/bottle there are many better choices for a peaty sherry treat.  In fact, I'd highly recommend looking for the beefier Laimrig instead, no filtration, no colour and served at cask strength... That's a real sherried Bowmore.

Second is the Balvenie Port Wood 21-year-old.  Great, a second port wood finish... I'm gonna go broke!  Especially on this one!  This is a monster and possibly my favorite Balvenie (in fact until the Caribbean Cask, the only Balvenie I really enjoyed).  This is a monster and exhibits all the right notes in all the right places.  Rich warm mahogany colour gives way to a butter cream richness.  Honey, red fruits, over ripened pears, salty caramels and a wonderful drying finish round out one of the best Balvenie expressions I've ever had.  Now the real problem is the price; $225!  For a bottle of great whisky - yeah I can cough that up.  The problem comes from the lack of distiller's information, there is no mention of colouring, or filtration, and it has been diluted to 40% ABV.  If you've got the cash for a seriously good bottle, check your LCBO fro Sku #500090, or take my advice and skip it for it's cousin The Balvenie Caribbean Cask.

The second release of the Balvenie Caribbean cask has arrived!  This is an excellent 14-year-old Balvenie!  The nose seems a little muted at first, but then as it opens it really seems to take off.  Sweet notes abound, lots of rum sweetness mingle witht he typically sweet Balvenie spirit.  Rich notes of  banana bread, roasted pecans, soft oats and grains in the mouth .  Demerara sugar and spice cake on the finish makes this a real keeper.  Sure, it might not be the ultimate Balvenie expression, but at only $100/bottle this is a lot more affordable than the $800/bottle 30 year old.   The flavors are just as pronounced as the finish is as long as the coveted older range, which is to be expected in a well crafted Balvenie.  Check your local LCBO for SKU #221200.

There are a couple of honorable mentions that I believe are far better than some of the released vintages.  A little bird on my should from the distillery mentioned that there would be a shipment of Old Rip Van Winkle lot 12 'B' to hit our shelves.  Sure enough it did (LCBO Sku #976852).    This is the 'Lot B' Special reserve of the Old Rip Van Winkle, and wow is it good.  At 45.2% ABV (standard range for a bourbon ~90 Proof), and no colour added by law in the US (way to go USA for that choice), this is a rich and deep bourbon that can rival any fine Cognac.  Excellent and smooth, this is a definite purchase.  I did get to try this at the tasting bar, and went back a couple of days later only to find it gone!  Grab yourself a bottle of this before it's gone from the shelves, as there seems to be a lot of eager people waiting for a Van Winkle to grace our shelves, and the moment is nigh!  Well worth the $72 they're asking.

Also released was an Armagnac that caught my eye.  Castadère 20 ans d'âge X.O. Bas Armagnac was quietly placed onto the shelves.  I had to search this one out, and I won't lie, it was the price that grabbed my attention.  $100 for a 20 year old Armagnac is sort of like stumbling across a Ferrari in the auto trader for under $10,000.  It's not uncommon, but when you do see it, you need to seize that moment and check it out.  I still have no Ferrari to my name, but I do have a fantastilicious (yeah that's my own word), Armagnac sitting on my shelf.  Incredibly rich; with the wine flavors of Brandy, the fruity notes of port, and the oak of a well aged spirit, this is a great buy.  There is a wonderful smokey/earthiness in the background of an Armagnac that isn't present in the buttery finish of Cognacs.  Check your local LCBO for SKU #260190 for a bottle.

So that sums up November in a nutshell.  I am also simultaneously working on a recent mega update for what's been happening over the last month, and will post that in good time.  Until the next update, Keep your Stick on the ice and the ice out of your glass. Happy Dramming!

Vintages Releases for Sept 2011

Alright, as promised a second update with the featured releases for September up to the  coming release date of September 17th/2011.

First off, what we missed at the start of this month:

Dougie MacLean's Caledonia (Edradour 12 Year old Select Bottling).  Dougie MacLean is the most successful singer/song-writers in Scotland.  His list of talents don't stop at composing, he is a multi-talented instrumentalist playing more instruments than a high school band.  This single malt scotch came about with passion to bring a part of the Highlands to the rest of the world.  Unchillfiltered, colour free and served at 46% ABV this is a fine-looking specimen from the smallest distillery in Scotland.  Run by 3 passionate men, and distilling in the methods of old, Edradour uses equipment you would find in a museum with a process that includes no automation.  This results in a time-honored flavor that is faithful to the way Scotch was distilled by our forefathers.  Simply stated: Edradour is a heck of a dram, and the Caledonia release is a special selection of those heck-of-a-dram casks.  Grab a bottle for that special something you have coming up.  At $90 for a limited bottling, I think you have a safe investment in good taste on your hands.  LCBO SKU#242578.

The second bottle is another independent bottler with the right notions in play.  Unchillfiltered, and no colour added are right up the enthusiasts list of wants.  Montgomerie's is a division of the Dundee distiller's PLC group.  They cater to the enthusiast with single cask malt whisky from all regions of Scotland.   This bottling comes from a Glen Grant 1990 cask, and aged 17 years.  The single cask bottling limits the amount of production to a very rare 3700 or so bottles, making it a collector's item.  At $135, this is definitely a collector's item!  I think the colour looks a little pale, making me believe that this is not a prized first fill cask (more of a second/third filling).  I'm on the fence about it, the tasting notes say things like brilliant gold colour, and notes of saltwater taffy with leather, tobacco and marmalade.  It doesn't inspire confidence in me, and a quick internet search pulls up very little information about Montgomerie's.  If you happen to have $135 burning a hole in your pocket, go for and let me know what you think!  LCBO SKU #247643; but sorry folk's I've got the last bottle in Ontario.

Last but not least is a prized bottling that is high on my list of purchases!  I can't stop singing the praises of Isle of Arran, and this month marks the release of The Amarone Cask Finish Single malt.  At a whopping 50% ABV with no chill-filtration and no colour added; yes please! Amarone is a desiccated Italian Red wine (made from partially dried grapes), that boasts a rich incredible flavor.  Granted a DOCG certification in 2009 (Controlled designation of origin), it is an Italian treat for those rich full-bodied reds.  What does this impose to the Scotch?  In a word flavorization-ness..... is that a word?  It may not be a word, but that's what I've got to say.  Rich copper/mahogany red hues lead the nose on a trip.  Turkish Delight, toasted almond, cranberry hints and rich malted chocolate give way to cherry, toffee, apricot and rich almond nuttiness.  This is a keeper!  In fact at $72, grab a second bottle for that rainy day a few years down the road when you need a burst of flavor to get yourself back into the game.  Jim Murray scored it a 96 and said "I'm astonished at its total brilliance..."  LBCO SKU #50070.

So that takes care of what's on the shelves now.  This weekend marks another release without any whisky.  For you Cognac fans there are a few new bottles arriving that have peaked my interest.  Check the Vintages booklet HERE, or better yet take a trip to your local LCBO and see what looks good to you.  SO I've told you what I think looks good, and in the words of Levar Burton '...but you don't have to take my word for it!'.  Take a trip to your local bar or an LCBO tasting room, or a good friends place with a good selection and get out there and try something new.

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.