#Heelslayer: Glenmorangie 15 (Old Distillery Bottling, 15 Years, 43% ABV)

    This week's #Heelslayer dram comes from the distillery claiming "the tallest stills in Scotland" (I think I've heard that from others too, much like the 'oldest' distillery claims), Glenmorangie.  This is a rather special bottle though, as this comes from the era before the Louis Vuitton Moët Hennesy takeover in 2004.  This 15 year old bottle, served at 43% ABV hails from about the mid to late 1990's, and comes from a time when production was a little more detail oriented, and less factory produced whisky.  Still aged in the classic Bourbon-only style of Glenmorangie, this has long been a favorite of the both the collector and the GlenMo fan. Let's delve into the hell of this bottle and I'll tell you why.

• Colour:  Autumn gold with hints of amber.  There's no indication of colouring on the label so I'll assume it has some caramel in it, albeit rather light.

• Body:  An oily medium that wanes toward the thin side.  No mention of filtration type, but considering this stays crystal clear in a -30 car ride... it's pretty heavily chill-filtered.

• Nose:  Holy cow!  Vanilla city, pudding, white flowers and soft malt notes.  The rich malty backbone plays with hints of sweet corn and apricot cobbler.  Peaches, stone fruits and melted vanilla ice cream.  In the background there are subtle notes of jasmine and herbal green tea with a hazelnut twist.  The nose swims with so much vanilla, almost overpoweringly sweet, but so delicious.

• Palate:  Sweet cornbread, malt syrup and peach compote.  Sublime wood spice notes (fenugreek with hints of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg), drive the mid palate as oily malt notes lift the bottom.  Toasted oak and cream flourish here with subtle hints of lilac and more jasmine green tea again.  Towards the end Tellicherry black pepper, stone fruits and more herbal notes come forward as the sweet creaminess abates.  The malt shows great depth throughout the dram.

• Finish: Sweet creamy malt and deeply complex oak.  White flowers again provide highlights as does sweet black tea and some hints s of brine.  Vanilla oils, shortbread and hints of oak char.  Wood spices are diluted here, but still present and have picked up an almost cedar note.

• Empty Glass:  Peach Melba and more white tea this time.  There's a doughy middle note and some herb-ed liqueur and roasted malt.  The sweetness continues through the empty glass, with malted milk chocolate sweets and Applejack. 

     I actually noted in my notebook on two different tastings of this that 'I will miss this bottle when it's gone.'  It's like an improved-upon 10 year old Glenmorangie Original: oilier, heavier and with more wood presence but with all the rich vanilla sweetness that you've come to love.  I can't help but wonder why this was discontinued, and more importantly where the quality has gone.  This dram is hands down my favorite Glenmorangie of recent tastings, save some independent bottlings, and it bears to mind the quality shift of all the Glenmorangie offerings.

     With the recent limited releases like Tùsail, glimpses of this distillery's true character are still present, albeit now a manufactured façade.  I understand the same quality of barrels are no longer present (LVMH uses Jack Daniels and Heaven Hill primarily for the GlenMo10), and the quality of engineered barley is now very different from years past.  I think that whisky, like comedy, should come naturally, and cannot be forced.  Stepping off my soapbox; keep your stick on the ice and the ice out of your glass.

#Heelslayer: 1995 Ben Nevis (Blackadder Clydesdale Label, 15 Years, 59.5% ABV NCA/NCF)

     Well it's been a while, and a crazy summer for myself!  It seems like it's hard to settle down and write something meaningful and eloquent when it's so nice outside.  Instead of penning another ode to a dram, I've searched my open bottles and decided to write out some notes on my heels.  Below is the first of my tasting notes on a selection of drams from my #heelslayer weekend project.

     First up come form the dew of Ben Nevis... or so they call it.  Long John McDonald founded the distillery in 1825 at the foot of Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the United Kingdom, where the cool mountain air condenses into the two pools from which the distillery draws her water. Popular enough that by 1878 a second distiller had to be built next door which eventually was amalgamated back into the Ben Nevis of today.  The most recent change of hands in 1989, was to the Japanese Nikka company, who still produces the malt to this day.

     The bottle that I'm reviewing today comes form the Clydesdale independent bottler lineup under the Blackadder label.  Aged 15 years in sherry cask (likely a refill), number 0350/2626 and bottled at a whopping 59.5% ABV without any chill filtration or colouring.  I tried this bottle many moons ago and was astonished that something so high on the ABV scale could seem so approachable.  This was my first foray into cask strength drams, and it was a more that pleasant experience, and cemented my love of independent drams that can actually display the  character of the distillery.

• Colour:  Bright straw gold.  No colour added.

• Body:  Thin to medium.  Very tiny drops and thin legs, slow run back to the glass.  No chill filtration happening here either!

• Nose:  Bright and lively!  Hay (cut and dried), and fruits., hints of flowers and very subtle malt.  Rich pastry notes with apricot and peach schnapps.  Pineapple upside down cake, hints of vanilla and varnish.  Yellow plums, flint and dry cocoa in the bottom with hints of lemon and mint in the background. 

• Palate:  Surprising power here, but not in the way you'd think.  That almost 60% ABV still comes across as soft and dignified like a 43-46% dram.  The power comes with the wallop of flavour it brings with it!  Spice and wood notes start up with a brine note playing second fiddle.  The malt comes in strong next with more pineapple in tow.  A warm fruit compote with some sort of... what I can only describe as yellow flowers.  Roots and rich gobs of dried fruit (papaya), shortly follow this up with a wood smoke or cocoa dryness.  The cocoa comes in a little more strongly as it transitions towards the finish with just a slight hint of struck match  in the background.

• Finish:  The heat shows up here from the ABV, but it still doesn't overwhelm the finish. Daisy... or maybe cooked daisies with more yellow plums (also cooked).  Good dutch cocoa and more toasted oak here.  Some astringent notes, specifically astringent peach, and a rather hot dryness.  The dryness is very welcome as shortly afterwards your mouth begins watering; yearning for the next sip!

• Empty Glass: Wood smoke and cherry cough syrup.  Coffee dregs and pineapple vodka (not sweet though).  Wood spices and play-dough , citrus and some bitter almond in the bottom.  Almost hints of grilled peach and fruit salts (is there such a thing as fruit salt?  I'm thinking a salt that has a yellow fruit note...).

    What can I say?  This was a fantastic dram, filled with stone fruit, yellow flowers and malty goodness.  Loads of baking spices in the palate and a finish that leaves your mouth watering, leaving  you craving another.  I was amazed that high ABV could come across so smoothly, which attests to the quality of the spirit; it even fooled me on my first tasting.  Water tames some of the wood spices and brings a more soft floral malty note to the whisky, but it doesn't seem to be needed in this dram.  Should you ever see this listed in a bar, I highly recommend that you taste it as I don't think you'll be disappointed.  Until next time: keep your stick on the ice and the ice out of your glass.

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!

Tasting Notes: 1977 Glen Albyn (Signatory Yellow Label, 21 Years, 43% ABV)

    Welcome again malt mates, to the interesting and odd side of the whisky compass.  I have been wandering through my old tasting books and this next set of tasting notes I happened across, comes from a very odd distillery.

     Glen Albyn was built in 1846, as a brewery/distillery in Inverness beside the Caledonian Canal.  Early on in its life it ran into much difficulty, and by 1855 it had been closed and the remaining buildings were being used to mill grains.  In 1884, the distillery was rebuilt on the site and was attached to the Highland railway system.  Silent again through 1917-19 for use as a US Navy mine factory, the distillery was reopened in 1920 under John Birnie (of Glen Mhor fame).  By 1972 it was acquired by Distillers Company Limited (ie: Diageo), and was hit hard by the 1980's slump in whisky sales, it was shuttered in 1983 along with many other fabled distilleries.  By 1988 the buildings had been demolished and turned into a supermarket, such a sad end to one of the distilleries who pioneered the use of the Saladin box malting method.  Very few bottles are found with the Glen Albyn name on them, typically only available from independent bottlers, the casks seem to have been so few and far between that it's a great rarity.

    There are very few entries in my notes for Glen Albyn, but some do stand out as being fantastic examples of this distillery.  This particular dram is by no means in the top 10 for Glen Albyn, but it's also no slouch either.  As a weirdo whisky, this dram is a harder one to nail down, but let's delve into the glass and see what we have...

Colour:  Pale gold, like a young white wine.  This is a Signatory bottling, so there's no colour added.

Body:  Medium to thin.  It clings readily to the glass, and small drips beget thin legs.  They run slowly back to the bowl, no chill filtration here either!

Nose:  The nose opens with big malty tones and some warm dusty bits.  Apples and cinnamon (like a baked apple), and more library dust.  Seems to taste very old, but there are some interesting things to come; this is where the regular notes diverge.  Beef fat and short pastry crust. Hints of tarragon vinegar and flat dust (its dust without being in your face, think old settled farmhouse dust that was stirred up.... this one I'm not too sure how to describe, stale dust maybe), and in the background hints of floral apples (like in an apple orchard during bloom season).  Water makes oily notes more apparent and amplifies the floral apple scents, in the bottom there are hints of charred oak.

Palate:  Super soft to start, almost like drinking water.  As it acclimatizes in your mouth, sweet floral notes appear, with hints of vanilla oak and more library dust.  A subtle spice balance arrives and counters the sweet notes with malt.  Water pulls apart the delicate balance though, making the dust come forward and become astringent.

Finish:  Oily and long, it stays with you for a while, but doesn't overwhelm your palate.  Warm vanilla oak and baking spices turn to a slightly drying note making your mouth water.  With water added, the finish shows a bit more herbal vanilla, and baking spices seem more pronounced like cardamom and mace with bits of cassia.

Empty Glass:  The wood takes full control, rubbed dry oak, and slightly punky wood are both at play here. More dusty herbal notes with dashes of vanilla, twinges of cassia and pepper are thrown in for good measure.

    Well, that was certainly an interesting trip down memory lane with a very interesting dram.  Water amplified the nose, but destroyed the body which leads me to believe its a very delicate dram in a subtle balance.  Very dusty, but a rewarding dram should you be able to find one!  Search around and try a Glen Albyn if you can; they are few and far between and offer a glimpse into a lost distillery of the past.  Next time on the blog, a trio of Islay malts, so until then keep your stick on the ice and the ice out of your glass.

Head to Head: Glenlivet Nadurras (16 Years Bourbon VS. NAS Oloroso, Cask Strength Distillery Bottlings)

    This article has been a little harder to write, typically I don't get a chance to taste compare one dram to another directly, but I've recently come across a pair of bottles allowing me to do just that.  What does Bruce Buffer always say before a fight?  "Ladies and Gentlemen, It's TIME!"  Fighting out of the amber corner, weighing in at 55.1% ABV, 16 years of age and haling from Ballindalloch, Scotland is Glenlivet Nadurra!  And to my right in the red corner, weighing in at a frightening 60.7% ABV with no age statement, also hailing from Ballindalloch, Scotland: Glenlivet Nadurra Oloroso.  This will be a fair fight, I expect no gouging, spitting or kicks below the belt.  Fighters toast glasses and return to your corners.

The stare down

    Okay. I'll admit that was just a little bit too much fun, but what we have here is a face to face (rather a bottle to bottle), challenge of the old long standing champion with his brave new young upstart looking to fill his shoes.  Those of you who know me well, will know that I'm a fairly hard critic on the industry giants, and that Glenlivet isn't one of my favourite distilleries either.  The Nadurra Original (herein referred to as Nadurra Bourbon, is actually from a circa 2011 bottling), turned out to be my favourite Glenlivet that I've had from the distillery lineup.  Nadurra is Gaelic for natural, a fitting description for this expression.  It took a lot of guts to put non-chillfiltered and no colour added right on their label and I admire that.  The new Nadurra (herein referred to as Nadurra Oloroso), has some very big shoes to fill.

     I will start with the chalk (the better's favourite to win), as there are a few major notations to be made on this bottling.  First up, there is no age statement made anywhere on the packaging.  Secondly, there is no mention of coloration made anywhere on the packaging (leading me to believe that it is actually assisted, albeit only slightly).  The only carry over from the initial product is that it does state 'no chill-filtration' was used in the final product; and then this is only listed on the box.  For reference, my bottle came from batch number OL0614.  Let's see what's in store for the challenger!

Colour: Rosy Gold (As there is no indication of colour added, it will be noted as likely coloured).

Body:  Medium to Thin body.  Tiny drops appear quickly and run quickly to the pool below.  This is a 60.7% NCF bottling, and the high proof is showing in the glass!

Nose:  Tomato puree (cooked), and harsh grape distillate.  Sharp notes of alcohol sting the nose, and are redeemed with sweet malt notes.  Very rich and creamy, like malt porridge with dried apricots cut into it.  Dates and deep licorice notes towards the bottom with hints of fresh oak sawdust as it settles.  It seems very young on the nose (maybe 6-8 years-ish).  With the addition of water, the nose swims into cream of tomato soup and some hints of something sour I can't put my finger on.  The wood notes go crazy, everything from fresh cut lumber to astringent wood spices (mace and cassia).

Palate:  The first note you'll notices is all 60.7 percentiles of alcohol.  White hot alcohol bite and sharp young malt.  By the third sip, your mouth has been anaesthetized, and you begin to taste the intense creaminess of the malt.  There is still an acrid grape distillate note lurking ion the mid-palate, but it's being covered by cinnamon, cloves, mace and some very sherry wine-y notes.  Dense cocoa powder, and intensely sharp wood notes with a smattering of butyric acid (See: buytric acid: "the main distinctive smell of, human vomit").  The tomato note returns, but this time it's followed with harsh aluminum notes (like tomato sauce cooked in an aluminum pot).  With water, it becomes far more palatable.  Creamy malt and wood spice swim into Christmas cake, but there is still a heavy licorice and sawdust note in the background (neither being sweet, but rather drying and sharp).  More water dulls the creaminess and brings the wood spice forefront, like it had been over wooded.

Finish:  This is where the heat came full force!  Blinding white pepper heat and hard oak spices abound.  Slight notes of herbal vanilla and a pinch of tar,  The licorice finally settles down into the really good quality soft Australian black licorice (it's an acquired taste no less), and a dollop of quality marmalade.  With water, though the finish was super spicy.  Astringent oak and road tar with hints of dried/burnt orange peel.

Empty Glass:  Dried out Oloroso wood. Earl Grey tea dregs (rich black tea with a speckling of Bergamot), and more dried orange peel.  Fennel seed and rough oak sawdust (like the stuff that comes from the bark, not the wood itself).



    Next up, the current reigning champ of the Glenlvet stables - Nadurra Bourbon.  This bottle has quite a lot more going for it.  It specifies and age (16 years), and that there is no colour added and no chill filtration has been used to bottle the product.  The selection I'm using is from a 2011 bottling, just before the label change to the green/white bottles that you see now (Batch No. 0309H for those that need the specifics).

Colour:  Bright Gold.  No colour has been added to the bottling.

Body:  Medium.  Drops, small, form slowly and run at an average rate to the pool below.  This has some serious body in comparison!  No chill filtration was used to remove the natural oils, and it shows!

Nose:  Sweet vanilla cream, almost to the point of vanilla pudding.  Rich malt, and some hints of Orange Julius (See: Orange Julius, it's a very sweet and creamy orange drink).  Subtle almond syrup, and earwax notes appear (that's a good bourbon cask note; think walnut skins).  There's actually a sweet tequila note, if there was no sour body in Tequila.  Baked apple and rich floral notes abound!  Little white flowers and an almost buttery pastry note.  There is still a light butyric acid note, but it is very muted in this dram and actually seems constructive to the malt.  With water, the floral notes die down and the vanilla pudding rushes forward.  Oiled wood and rich toasted pecans seem to dominate the nose now.


Palate:  Sweet heat and cream come rushing in, hints of walnut skin and malt syrup.  The same sort of creamy malt porridge with a tiny bit of apricot, and some straw notes also appear.  The heat almost dries out your math, causing to to water.  It's both strong and gentle at the same time.  Ginger snaps and a subtle coal tar note in the back ground.  With water the palate becomes rich oily vanilla and dried figs.  The walnut skins dull a bit into that familiar earwax note and the dried apricot comes forward again.  Still very creamy, the bite is reduced a bit and some background floral notes begin to appear.

Finish:  Drying and spicy!  Spice oak wood and cinnamon.  Hints of cocoa and rich vanilla swirl, with faint hints of almond and mint.  With water the almond comes forward and turns a bit bitter, but it doesn't detract from the finish.  The oily vanilla is cut back a bit and the mint note starts to come forward.

Empty Glass:  There's a tarry note still and some very malty oak notes.  Herbal notes with a hint of butyric acid (albeit slight), begin to appear.  Super lush and soft sawdust notes with a twinge of rubber erasers.


      If it's not immediately apparent, there is a clear winner.  I haven't had much luck with NAS whisky (No Age Statement), and this is no exception!  The youthful spirit shines through in the Nadurra Oloroso, and there are some things I'm not too crazy over that really stick out (IE: butyric acid, tar, and poor acrid grape distillate).  On the flip side, the 16 year old Nadurra Bourbon is a richly complex and fantastic dram, one of the better Glenlivet whiskies that have been bottled by the distillery.  Some may say I started this tasting with a bias, but I think the Nadurra Bourbon is absolutely fantastic.  The Nadurra Oloroso is a finicky monster; it was okay at full strength but needed taming, on the other hand adding water didn't help the situation.  The youthful age really signed the writ, it seems they might not have aged it long enough and/or opted for poorer quality Oloroso wood for the cask.

     I'd urge you to taste either before you buy anything, as Glenlivet has a very characteristic taste that I've never grown fond of, Butaryic acid.  It's a rather unpleasant note that doesn't disappear in the distillery bottling range until you get into the 18-21 year olds, and the younger the spirit, the more prevalent it is.  My choice was fairly clear, but I'm always open to having my mind changed and my palate tested.  Until next time dram mates, keep your stick on the ice and the puck out of the net... no wait, the ice out of your glass!

Tasting Notes: Lochside 1981 (Lombards, 23 Years Old, Sherry Cask, 50% ABV)

     Delving into my notebook, I've found another dram that stood out from my journey to Las Vegas.   In sifting through some of the shelves in the bars I visited, once in a while a fantastic dram would appear right before my eyes. In this instance it was a rare dram indeed, a Lombard 1981 from the fabled Lochside distillery. 

    Lochside was closed by the Macnab Distillers Ltd in 1992, and produced both malt whisky and grain whisky through its life.  The distillery itself was levelled, and turned into housing in 2004-2005 era, and has therefore become a lost dram. The few bottles that can be found tend to have the 'lost distillery' price tag attached to them.

  The Lombard brand is a more recent addition to the LCBO shelves (which are severely lacking in independent bottlers), netting us some fantastic single cask selections; but also some fantastically high prices in many cases.  I have tried the Macallan 14 that was released by Lombard, as well as a 21 year old Clynelish, a Balmenach, and even a Teaninch.  One of the best 'traditional' Rosebanks I have ever had came from a Lombard's bottle as well.  This jewel of Scotland has been bottled from stock that was distilled slightly before the doors shut for good on the old Lochside distillery. Served without the addition of colour, without the need for chill-filtration, and with a hefty 50% ABV; this is what malt drinkers search high and low for.  Let's see what the notes reveal about this relic:

Colour: Autumn Gold (How's that for a colour?); It's wonderful golden yellow with both hints of mahogany and tinges of ruby.

Body:  A single roll shows medium body.  Drops form slowly and run slowly; if at all.  Almost seems clingy to the point of being oily.

Nose:  Rich! Super rich malty nose with a huge whack of fruits!  There is a musty note like a damp library, but it doesn't detract from the malt's richness, instead amplifying it.  There is a lot of wood here, not new wood, but old oak with wood polish and ancient must lumber too.  The fruits are a combination of many things, macerated/stewed purple fruits (think plums and strawberries), over ripe almost rotten fruit (those raspberries that were on the counter too long), and hints of dark dried plums.

Palate:  The richness doesn't stop here.  Rich warmth of malt and stewed fruits take centre stage, the malt playing second fiddle isn't to be missed either.  The wood spice almost dances between, offering sharp punches to break up that rich spirit.  Lots of wood spice through the mid-palate, cinnamon, clove, mace, cardamom and the like.  There are some dark notes of raisin and something different, like long pepper or a hint of truffle in the background.

Finish: Velvety and long, this goes on for quite some time.  Richness doesn't seem to subside, but more sherry-vanilla creme comes out now.  The sherry wood almost dominates the finish, but there is an interesting poached pear note here too.  Worked leather, library dust and wonderful soft oak wrap up a lush dram.

Empty Glass:  I was so over occupied with my other notes (and the lights of Las Vegas!), I missed most of the empty glass.  I recall a lot of wood notes, more of the damp library and over worked sherry.  Things you don't smell any more; things that are earmarks of old whisky.

    This was an immensely enjoyable dram, one from a distillery who's heritage is all but forgotten.  This was made even more enjoyable by the company of my friends in a far away place (Vegas is far enough away from Toronto).  Lombard bottles seem to be typically good whisky, but the price varies greatly on them.  I'd strongly suggest searching some out and trying them if you can.  And as for Lochside; it's a wonderfully fruity dram and should you have the chance to taste one, it's worth seeking out.

     I'm still rummaging through my sample drawer and have yet to write up some drams, but I have a couple of notebooks filled with some interesting drams too.  I'll see what I can draft up for next time, and I can guarantee you that you won't be disappointed!  Until next time folks:  Keep your stick on the ice, and the ice out of your glass.

Tasting Notes: Macallan 1997 (Duncan Taylor, Octave Cask #721315, 13 Years Old, 53.4% ABV)

    I've made it back to the interweb again with another interesting bottle!  This post's dram review comes from a trip to Las Vegas with some good friends of mine; hopefully you'll find it as interesting as I did! We had a great time in Sin City and I had plenty of chances to peruse bars on the strip, finding a few bottles that really peaked my interest; some of which I actually got to sit and write about.

     In one such bar, my friend and I stumbled upon an intriguing bottle of Macallan (not literally!). I'm a sucker for a Macallan (thanks impart to my dad), but I've been burned in the last couple of years with the introduction of the new Macallan NAS lineup (that's a different post).  I thought it was worth the gamble as it was an independent bottling by Duncan Taylor.

     Duncan Taylor bottles a range of single malts under a varied group of labels in addition to The Octave, and one of the more prominent is the Dimensions line (especially for Ontarians, as we don't see many other Duncan Taylor's in our stores).  One of the best Dimensions bottles we've had in the LCBO was the cask strength Balblair that came in a few years ago (and boy, was it a good one!).  We also saw a line up of 46% ABV Dimensions bottles featuring Glen Moray, Glen Elgin, Glenlossie, Macduff and Royal Brackla; I might still have my notes somewhere about some of these so watch out for further reflective posts.

     Distractions aside, The Octave selections are matured in the typical hogshead/butt oak barrels for the majority of their life, then selected and finished by placing them into the much smaller octave barrels (so small that they typically yield only 60-90 bottles per octave).  This imparts a more wood onto less whisky; in a sense, sort of speeding the aging process up.  Of course, as a Duncan Taylor bottling, there is no additional colour or chill-filtration.  This allows us whisky nerds to lift the skirts of said distillery and really see what's behind their product line.

  The Macallan Octave bottle I tried derives from Cask #721315 and hails in at a whacking 53.4% ABV.  Finished in a sherry octave, the dram almost called to me from the other side of the bar (with such a striking label, who wouldn't be interested!?).  This particular bottling yielded only 71 bottles and was destined for the USA.  At only 13 years old, and ever leery, I took my chances and rolled the dice.

Colour: Light gold with a subtle reddy-brown hint to the spirit.

Body: Rich and oily, surprisingly thick.  The roll shows a thick cling, and tiny drops  The legs, though, take forever to get back to the glass.  This is really looking up!

Nose:  Wow!  First thing you'll note are nuts!  Tonnes of roasted nuts backed up by wonderfully sweet vanilla notes.  This is a very Macallan dram!  The wonderfully light floral notes from the bourbon cask poke through and cut the sweet nutty goodness.  As it settles in, more hints of wood appear, adding another layer of depth to the already swimming nose.  Cinnamon and cloves intersperse with white wildflowers and drops of vanilla cream.  In the far background white pepper sharpness and a starchy note that piques my interest.

Palate:  We're in for a ride: the bar is down, there are no stops, the train is leaving the station (at only 13 years I'm expecting this could be a bumpy ride, especially with my recent luck with Macallan).  There is a galloping chariot of heat at the front, searing white pepper and sun burnt oak spices.  It's a little brash, but instantly it relaxes with more roasted almond and sweet pecans coming through the dram.  As it rolls about in the mouth, I'm getting more sweet roasted corn (even corn nuts), and hints of dried cherry.  The oily palate really suits the dram well, coating the mouth like syrup.  Interspersed in the background are slight notes of acidic char and rich soft wood spice (cardamom and mace, like a spice cake).

Finish:  In the finish, the heat has subsided and reveals a thick layer of butter cream and pound cake.  Loads of vanilla pods rolled in pepper with hints of dry oak spices.  It's surprisingly long, and draws out so nicely with vanilla creme supporting the whole cast.

Empty Glass:  Wood abounds, but is broken up by spiced pecans (a warm memory of sothern tradition).  There is a definite oak spice harshness but the sweet nuttiness of the dram counters it nicely.

     I bet large and Vegas paid out with a wonderful Macallan that I've been longing for!  The NAS line did very little to bolster the Macallan name, and running out of well aged stock has pushed their limits of both production and quality.  The quality is still there in the base spirit, but they will need to do as Duncan Taylor did: relax and hold onto some of these casks until they are actually ready to be bottled.  This dram is proof that quality whisky is out there still, but finding them is now even more of a challenge with so many 'investors' snapping up anything with a recognizable name on it.  Keep your stick on the ice and the ice out of your glass and next time I'll see what else I can drum up.

                                                                                 Roscoe (ScotchGuyTO)

Tasting Notes: Clynelish 1990 (Dun Bheagan, 22 Years Old, Port Hogshead Finished, 46% ABV)

    Well dram-mates, It would seem it's time for an update on tasting notes.  I recently hit up a local LCBO to my neighbourhood and found a tasty treat that I've been hunting for a while.  A few weeks back the LCBO released a varied group of products, including a few new bottles of Scotch, one of which is a 22 year old Clynelish.  Hailing form the Highlands region, this distillery is a favourite of many whisky buffs, and its sister distillery, Brora, is one of the most highly collected, and overpriced, whiskies on the market at this time.  The distillery features a somewhat fruitier malt, with subtle (sometimes), hints of coastal  or waxy notes to it.  As such, it's usually on my list of distilleries for hunting out reasonably-priced bottles.

  This bottling is brought to us by Dun Bheagan (pronounced done vey-gan; like the name Megan).  It was distilled December 1990 and bottled in mid 2013.  It's comprised of 2 casks (#93781 & 93783), which are cobbled together to form Port hogsheads.  Served without the 'aid' of chill-filtration or the addition of artificial colour, this is right up a whisky buff's alley.  However intriguing, at $220.95 [SKU #371013], my whisky-spider sense was tingling and warning me Caveat Emptor.  I typically shy away from expensive bottles at the LCBO  for two reasons: one - they are are not worthy of the high price tag, and two - they typically have little to no information provided about them to make a good judgment call.  So instead of buying an expensive, but intriguing bottle, I waited until one came up for tasting.  Sure enough I found one; and below are my notes.

Dun Bheagan Clynelish 22 Years (Port Hogshead, NCA, NCF, 46% ABV):

Colour: Bright rose gold; no colour added.

Body: Medium but oily, no chill-filtration. Upon first roll of the glass, the drops almost don't seem to want to form.  They do eventually and the legs slowly run (looks like a whack of flavour).


Nose: First crack at the bat, heavy fruits!  Rich red fruits, like overripe strawberry and hints of overripe cherry, with a dash of plums thrown in for good measure.  This sort of dwindles out into some more stone fruits (apricot, peach and the like). That was a little weird; Clynelish isn't usually this type of fruity.  Rotten peaches and old oak, like sun baked picnic tables.  Hints of moss and black pepper wash into some farm-y notes (that's manure, straw and livestock... things that smell bad in your home actually taste quite good in whisky). As it settles out, the farminess becomes stronger, but not to the level of a typical Clynelish; it's still overshadowed by the macerated red fruits.

Palate: Wow! A wallop in the tongue of sharp oak!  Black pepper follows up with its crew of wood spices (cardamon, and cassia).  After the invasion of wood power, the malt slowly comes out from under the shadow.  Malty notes mingled with nectarines (not sweet, just the smell), and far off in the background is a hint of brine.  There is surprisingly little sweetness in this dram - given time it does come forth.  The complaint is that the tannin/wine in the finish wood are far overpowering the soft and delicate malt notes that you should expect in a 22 year old whisky.

Finish: The wood spice continues to stomp all over the finish.  Harsh oak tannin and sharp cassia (Cinnamon's hotter/rougher cousin - think Cinnabon cinnamon), some twinged notes of vanilla extract (the good 35% ABV stuff; which isn't that pleasant to drink but wonderful to nose), and some strawberry cream.  As it dissolves, the malty notes and more red fruit comes through but never enough to save the dram.

Empty Glass:  Lots of wood here (this is where you can usually get a sense of the casks used in the whisky).  There is a huge offering of wood spice (again), both old wood and new, much younger wood.  There is also a dry wine note; not even the red fruity note from before.  Once again, the tannins come through quite strongly.


   Adding water brings more stewed fruits to the nose, and nectarines (still not sweet nectarines though).  It takes even more settling out to get to the malt behind the finish.  When the coastal nature starts to come forth, it does so in spades.  More hints of brine and sweet malt appear, and the farmy notes seems to become more readily available.  The palate, however, suffers with the addition of water; becoming somewhat sweeter with the fruity malt playing lead.  That tannic note showed up again and lead to a bitter finish.
  
    All in all, it's not a bad dram, but there are a few caveats to this.  My suspicion is that it was over-wooded in the original casks, and this has been subdued with the Port finish.  Although this Port finish may have helped the original over-wooding, it overwhelms the old malt, taking over the soft and subtle notes with a brash red fruit wash.  It's sort of a shame; but not completely undrinkable.  Overall, I would have guessed this was a 12-15 year old port finish Clynelish, not a 22.  Seeing as it is overpriced to begin with as a 22 year old, it is even more-so when you're not experiencing the full age benefit. There is a wonderful Clynelish under there, its just buried.

     In conclusion, this bottle doesn't make the grade and will not join my collection, but it was worth the taste.  Remember that whisky tasting is a subjective thing, and you may enjoy this heavily wooded dram more than I did.  Try it if you can, but skip the purchase until you have; there are many more worthy bottles out there to spend your hard earned money on.  Keep you stick on the ice, and the ice out of your glass.

                                                          Roscoe (ScotchGuyTO)

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.

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.

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.

A Tale of Two Macallans - Part II (A tale of more Macallans)

  Another bottle to add to the Macallan debate reviewed by our very own Tom Alexander.  This time another travel retail bottle, but is it a good one?

The Macallan 1824 Collection - Whisky Maker’s Edition - 42.8% ABV   

About a month ago I did a comparison between Lombard’s 14 year old Macallan, and the distillery’s own bottling, “Select Oak”, from their 1824 collection. Well, this morning it is Christmas Eve and have a few minutes to do yet another Macallan, also from the 1824 Collection, called “Whisky Maker’s Edition” (thanks to Ross Allen for providing this!)

This particular expression, according to the distillery, has been individually crafted by Whisky Maker Bob Dalgarno, using a mix of sherry and bourbon casks, and bottled at the higher 42.8% ABV (which is “how Bob likes to savour his Macallan”).

The colour is dark gold with amber highlights. On the nose, you get an immediate hit of barley sugar, caramel and vanilla, ginger and cinnamon. It’s very fruity. A lovely nose, not as sherried as you might expect. A drop of water opens it up nicely.

The palate, however, disappoints. There is more sherry here but it is sulphurous. Darker dried fruits, cinnamon and cloves. Water tames the sulphurous elements but unfortunately not enough.
Finish: a bit chalky, and much more spice on the finish than on the nose or palate. But on the death, there is a lot of astringency due to those sulphurs.

There is not as much to this as I had been hoping, and I think this is a flawed Macallan; somehow they got stuck with poor casks. Which is surprising: to take this and call it the “Whisky Maker’s Edition”, immediately calls into question Mr. Dalgarno’s skills (which we know are considerable given the exacting standards of Macallan). If they felt the need to do something with this, why market it as being indicative of “how Bob likes to savour his Macallan”?

If I compare this to the Select Oak (of which I have a final dram left in the bottle!), it pales in comparison (and would certainly pale next to the Lombard’s mentioned above - that was outstanding). The Select Oak has richer dried fruits, and a deeply beautiful sherry element (though still very slightly sulphurous). If this were a family Christmas dinner, the WME would be the drunk eccentric uncle with a lampshade on his head and a whiff of BO, next to the SO’s down-to-earth, hearty and gracious second-cousin.

Regardless, a great start to Christmas Eve - sampling two single malts that are as indicative of Christmas as you can get (minus the screaming kids, family dysfunction and mouth-drying turkey). Happy Holidays!