The USDC 30th Event! - 30 Year Old Malts... 5 of them... Seriously

       Well, not often will I publish a quick turn around review, but last night stuck me as something special.  If you happened to be watching my twitter feed, you will have noted a few very interesting and rather old bottles appear.  This is attributed to the 30th event for The United Scotch Drinkers of Canada.  It was decided that the group would celebrate in style, and source a list of 30 year old malts -  and what transpired was nothing less than a stellar night.

     First up, the USDC:  A group of like minded men and women who started a tasting group made up of friends who enjoy whisky.  What started with tasting of basic blended malts and learning the distiller's lingo has since been transformed into locating some of the most sought after bottlings possible.  This typically results in some collectors crying their eyes out as we wrench open the tops on whisky that is oft deemed too rare to drink.  On the other hand, as an malt enthusiast, this allows an opprtunity  to try whiskies that are far outside the acceptable price range or almost impossible to find.  Let's delve into our opening dram...

Weymss Inchgower 1982 (Pears and Almonds, 46% ABV, NCA/NCF):

• Colour:  Light amber, almost honey coloured.
• Body:  Thin, but leaning towards the oily side.  Drops form at a medium rate and fall at the same leisurely pace.
• Nose:  Soft perfume notes begetting white floral notes and soft roasted almond.  As it develops, almond becomes toasted and a little brash.  Soft malt and sweet marzipan round out into a creamy sort of nose.  The floral seems vaguely 80's Bowmore.
• Palate:  Milky soft and creamy, malt sweetness and more floaral notes.  There's n odd note in here though, maybe herbal almost sharp that I can't quite figure.  Mashed banana and sweet custard in the bottom, but the violet notes start to take over the mid-palate.  Towards the end there is a very interesting chalky note that smooths it all out, and hints at a bit of salty dust.
• Finish:  Sharp and prickly.  This is 30 years?  It's very lively as the wood spices come up and dominate the finish.  Creamy and chalky wood comes along and supports more custard notes but they take a back seat to some strong wood spices (coriander, cassia, mace and the like).
• Empty Glass:  The salty brine sort of comes up here but is subdued by huge butter toffee notes.  There is a rich and almost silky malt note in the dregs.

   Not quite my cup of tea, I found it very floral and quite a bit of roasted nuts.  The finish almost made it seem much younger than it actually was, almost half the age.  I can still see the appeal to this though as it is such a light and soft whisky.  What's next?

 Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Glen Grant 1978 (REF 4714, 49.6% ABV, NCA/NCF):

• Colour:  Soft harvest gold
• Body:  Rather thin, almost a touch watery.  Drops form rather slowly and almost refuse to run back to the glass.  Seems to sheet back to the bottom.
• Nose:  Wow, Glen Grant straight out of the gates!  Intense old whisky!  Lots of prickly pear and almost some sweaty notes.  Great wood spices and hints of aftershave (not detracting from the malt), with a fantastic malt base.  As it develops, it becomes soft and perfumed, but never loses the quality.  There is a hint of citrus, or some sort of citrus baked good... like a lemon square but with 1/4 of the lemon.
• Palate:  A 180 from the nose, soft and subtle... somehow maintains intensity in softness.  The perfume is still here, but it plays hand in hand with malt, biscuits and baking spices.  As it develops the malt takes precedence and shows the almost perfect integration of pepper heat and sweet.  The balance is spot-on.
• Finish:  Herbal wood spice and pepper heat again, Twinges of wood smoke come through and soothe the malt.  Hints of bitter tannin and Crème Anglaise support the finish.  The balance shows no signs of stopping here as the finish carries on for quite some time.
• Empty Glass:  Rich aftershave notes of sandalwood and almost a hint of camphor.  Soft peaks of malty brine and vanilla support the finish in your mouth.  Le sigh....

      Okay, this is a pretty stellar malt, the balance of the flavours makes it supremely delicious and dangerously more-ish.  The aftershave notes in the finish support the rich malt underneath and the smattering of wood smoke peppers just enough to cut into the dram without disruption.  Holy crap, there's more?

Balvenie 30 (DB, 47.3% circa mid 2000's):

• Colour:  I think it's the Ron Burgundy... rich mahogany, but likely coloured.
• Body:  Oily thin, huge fat drops form rather quickly and run slowly back to the bowl.  I dunno; it's heavily filtered but still relatively intact.
• Nose:  The Balvenie through and through.  Honey, treacle tart and soft Sherry run through the malt.  There is a fermented strawberry note in the centre that I'm not in love with, but it supports the sherry very well.  Soft torched toffee and wood spice with a hint at cocoa in the back end.
• Palate:  Rich Gypsy pie, very sweet on the front end, and dangerously smooth in the mid-palate.  Hints at leaves and wood spice, but honestly nothing is standing out.  It's a very manufactured palate, but it's much clingier that the newer 30 year old.
• Finish:  It's long, but it doesn't stick around enough.  The typical vanilla, caramel and softened baking spice in the finish.  Lots of sherry sweets and malt here too, the cling dissipates too quickly leaving you wanting another dram.
• Empty Glass:  I'm almost not too sure there was whisky in my glass.  The dregs almost evaporate and leave very little  Hints of bitter almond and sherry, some touches of wood of some sort... but not much else.

     This was bottled about a decade back, and features almost all of the stereo typical Balvenie notes of the modern whiskies.  The cling on this though is much more interesting, just a shame though that it doesn't stick around for long enough.  It's a dram I could drink all day, but then I would check the empty bottle at the end and be a little disappointed that there wasn't more there...

Adelphi Miltonduff 1981 (53.8% ABV, Ex-Bourbon Hogshead #5077, NCA/NCF):

• Colour:  14 karat gold
• Body:  Oily to medium thick.  Drops are fat, and run so slowly down.
• Nose:  Oily fruit salad!  Fatty and bitter lemons, rich fruits and sharp oak.  Spicy notes of chili and grapefruit.  The wood spice and malt sweetness are muted to begin.  Adding water drive the fruits to insane levels and mutes the thickness of the dram.
• Palate:  Meg Ryan shouting yes, yes!  Soft and sweet to start, then the tempo picks up!  Rich malt traverses into very fruity notes.  Soft oily thickness carries vanilla cream across and then shoves a bunch of spices into your face (cardamon, fenugreek, and Ceylon cinnamon). Towards the end there is a salty note and more rich waves of malt.
• Finish:  Intense, rich and almost drying.  Milk chocolate and sharp oak play together on an oily creamy bed.  Very rich malt with more surprising fruits dot the finish.
• Empty Glass:  Almost a hint of brine here now, cooked dough and hints of preserved lemons.  Fruity wood peeks through and supports a soft oak char note.

     In case you might have missed it, this was my stand out of the night.  The fruits, oiliness and malt cream were so good... I just wish I had more of this. The odd spice notes seem to support the fattiness of the dram and drive the finish of for quite a long time.  But wait, there's more!

Douglas Laing Director's Cut Caperdonich 1982 (50.9% ABV, Refill Butt DL 8778, NCA/NCF):

• Colour:  Almost red-y amber!
• Body:  Rich and oily, drops stay small and take forever to form.  The swirl seems to sheet back to the bottom, not so much as legs, but rather as a thick blanket.
• Nose:  This is what its all about... Tobacco and sherry sweetness dominate this dram.  Honey and coffee dregs, cocoa and twinges of cherry medicine in the background.  Match heads at the start quickly give way to the sweet sherry and almost cut the sweetness down a bit.  There is a hint of metallic, but it's not derivative of the malt.
• Palate:  Soft sweet and super smooth sherry malt lead the way.  Big cigar tobacco and 75% dark chocolate drive the bottom end.  The honey sweetness and hints of floral notes twist with rich Colombian dark roast coffee and touches of ginger spice.  The smoothness of this dram known no limits, water need not apply here.
• Finish:  The sweet tirade continues, but offers more of the malt and hints of wood char and sweet oak throughout.  There's a soft almost creamy note that supports through out finish.
• Empty Glass:  Tannin drives up here, cheap coffee dregs and twinges of metal (maybe aluminum).  The sweet sherry takes a back seat and more oak spices come up (mace and cassia), but the soft creamy note still lingers the strongest.

     Oh man, as good as the previous was at showing a quality Bourbon aged spirit, this shows off a proper Sherry aged spirit.  This was so sweet and so delicious, I just wanted to curl up in it.  The metallic notes were a little off putting, but not so much that it was a distraction.  The hints of match heads actually cut the richness in the nose to a manageable level too.

     So after a wonderful evening of barbecue, camaraderie, and incredible single malt whiskies, we readied ourselves to part ways into the ongoing rain storm.  Then, what should my eyes behold... a touch of peat to set us off on our way!

SMWS 29.115 Candy Floss in a Fairground (55.8% ABV, NCA/NCF):

• Colour:  Light gold
• Body:  Thin to medium, rather light.  Drops almost refuse to form, but slim legs run very slowly back to the dram.
• Nose:  Gunpowder and treacle toffee.  Tonnes of peat (wow,  a lot for 22 years), and hints of sweet candies... like candy floss.  Sweet peat and touches of mechanical grit, rum soaked raisins and wine must show up.  Salted peanuts and somehow herbal notes too, maybe crushed burdock.
• Palate:  Gritty dirt notes, almost hot stone too.  Peat washes over everything, smoking peat fires and hints of sweetness abound.  There's a waffle note or something sweet and breaded in the background, with soft seaweed hanging about in the background.
• Finish:  Depths of peat smoke and wood spice! Incredible amounts of peat for 22 years, mud and soft sweet baking spices come along.  Tobacco ash, cumin and black tea notes.  Towards the end, play dough notes (cooked dough and briny salt).
• Empty Glass:  Peat smoke and hints of jasmine tea.  Bitter soy sauce and touches of vanilla.

     I'm not one for peated whisky, this was not quite in my directions.  There was a little too much peat for me, but upon adding water, the sweetness comes rushing in and brings so much more with it!

   So that about wraps up a wonderful evening!  Some incredible drams, some great friends and some heated conversations about everything from whisky to hockey.  The ages of the drams here were moot, the whisky spoke for itself above all else.  What more can I say... I'm still enamoured with the quality that comes from independent bottlers.  Keep your eyes peeled for anything form this tasting, all were very memorable, and all had their own quirks.  So until next time - Keep your stick on the ice, and the ice out of your glass!

Long Overdue Return

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