Vintages Release for October 2011

Well here we go again!  Another belated but good round of releases for October!

First up: Longrow CV makes a return to the LCBO shelves (although I don't really recall it ever leaving at any of my stores).  With a lightly peated, peppery and iodine notes on the nose.  This Campbelton malt features a fantastic finish with a depth that is hard to match.  Check your local LCBO for SKU#180158 and grab yourself a bottle for $85.  My personal suggestion though is to hold out and shoot for the Longrow 10 year old single malt (LCBO Sku #735688 for $125/bottle).  I find it a bit less structured and a little more enduring as it's not quite as intense as the CV blend.  The CV blend features a mix of the 7, 10, and 14 year old singles with the finishes varying from Port casks to rum finishes.  Either choice is an excellent foray into a small, family run distillery that showcases the hallmark of an independent distiller - unchillfiltered and higher proof allowing the end user more flavour and better value.

Second to the purchases list is not actually a Scotch at all, but rather a Cognac.  Léopold Gourmel is a well known Cognac house that is renowned for its embrace of the natural process.  No additives, no colour, no caramel... nothing.  this is pure unadulterated Cognac from non-toasted barrels.  This allows the user a chance to peek into the realm of the spirit itself and experience the spirit for what it is, not the aging process or the special French wood used, or the super rare colonized bee with gold feet that taste like angle tears which pollinates the grapes.  With no chill-filteration and no colour added, this became my next step into the world of spirits and I'll let you know what I think of it soon enough.  The 6 Carat (for 6 years), VSOP is a prize to behold in a quite pretty decanter with a gift box.  Tasting notes show a rich and varied spirit with vanilla bean, coffee and smoke wrapped in dried fruits and chocolate.  Check your LCBO for availability at your local shop ($66 SKU #258848).

The second release features a mix of old and new whiskies.  We have the return and price increase of the Glenfiddich 21 Rum Finish (albeit never leaving the shelves, just increasing again by $10).  Check this LCBO SKU#981381 for available locations.  At $174.95, I don't feel like this is such a good value anymore, you might be more inclined to try the limited edition Snow Phoenix release for $89.50 (Check this SKU #236752).  Don't get me wrong, it is excellent whisky, but at that price there are many other bottles I would choose over that first.

LCBO pricing aside, the other returning bottle is the legendary Eagle Rare 10 Year old Single Barrel.  It has returned to us at only $47.95/bottle this time ($2 dollars cheaper), and what a bargain for such a monster bourbon.  This was my second bottle of single barrel bourbon, and what an introduction it was!  Sweet cherry, butterscotch, oranges and vanilla permeate the nose with spice cake, apricot/orange marmalade, rich heavy American oak and dark corn syrup building the body.  The finish is long and incredible, soft and slow with pepper and ripe fruits permeating the finish.  This is a definite purchase for the bourbon lover in your life, and if you aren't one, this whisky may change your mind.  Check your local stock using LCBO SKU#604785.  At less than 50 dollars, this is a must have for any whisky enthusiast.  Just writing about it makes me want a glass, and I really want to get my hands on the 17 year old version!

What's new in this round (although I admit I've seen this before on the shelves), is Royal Canadian Small Batch.  This is from the masterminds at Sazerac Distillers.  They brought us the Buffalo Trace lineup, Old Rip Van Winkle's Bourbon, and many other incredible American bourbons.  The Royal Canadian is an offshoot of the greater project in which Sazerac purchased a lot of Canadian whisky barrels.  They have since been releasing small batch and single barrel releases.  The first one I saw was Caribou Crossing Single Barrel hit the LCBO shelves late last year.  On a whim at an LCBO tasting bar, I got my chance to taste the spirit.  It was really something!  When time and patience meet Drew Mayville's nose, magic happens.  It was a real eye-opener for Canadian whisky.  This second bottling is a blend of some more of the selected barrels to create an iconic Canadian whisky flavour.  With rich oak and fruits hitting your nose right away, it really is a heck of a whisky.  Sweetness carries through the spirit bringing hints of oak, hot pepper, spice cake, rich fruits and so much more.  This is a rich and robust example of what Canadian whisky really can be  (now if only the other manufacturers would allow the spirit to age longer into something like this instead of bottling it young and harsh).  Check your local listings using LCBO SKU #224071. A bottle at $37.95 with this kind of flavour is a rare find indeed.

Also in the mid October release is Springbank  CV Single Malt.  A single malt from the Campbelton region, the CV is a no age statement bottling.  This allows drinking without the prejudice of the number staring you in the face ('Was that 10 year old really as good as a 10 should be?'  'That 25 year old was excellent, but the 18 was better.').  These are the things I hear all the time, and this bottling allows the user to attest to the spirit without judging the book by it's cover.  That being said, Springbank is a vibrant spirit.  The CV shows a subdued sherry nose interspersed with peat, menthol and eucalyptus.  Leather and sherry on the tongue with notes of hard oak, spice and pear in the mouth.  The finish is medium, but reveals many layers of sherry, fruits  and leather.  This is a heck of a dram for $74.95/bottle.  Check your local LCBO using SKU#250142.


Also included in this release is the Johnnie Walker Blue mini bottle.  Now I'm not a huge advocate of mega-produced over priced malts, but for a 200 mL sample of the good life, I think it might be worth the $69.95 asking tag.  It really showcases the art of the blender with incredible depth, smoothness and balance - something to be tried and savored.  Check the LCBO using SKU #255778 for locations near you; it's worth a snap up, if for nothing more than a rewarding dram.



In the final release (yes, 3 releases for October!), there are a few more malt mentions.

First up is a Canadian single malt of a special pedigree.  Glen Breton Ice 17 Cask Strength.  This is a real malt monster, and something I've been looking forward to trying all year.  The 17 Year old Canadian malt is finished in Jost Wineries award-winning Icewine casks,and served at cask strength.  This gives incredible rich and bright fruits to the nose, but expect a heck of a bite when served at 57.5%.  This will be added to the collection for sure, and will definitely be sampled and reviewed at a later date!  Check SKU #250183 for the product information.

Also released in this issue is a newcomer to the Canadian scene, Deanston 'Virgin Oak' from Burn Stewart in Scotland.  Finished in virgin American oak barrels, I'd expect the oak to play a front-runner to the Scotch.  It sounds like it would be worth a try, and at only $39.95/bottle, it would be a pretty safe bet for a good fall dram.  Unchillfiltered and served at 46.3%, this looks to be a good independent style bottling.  All that heavy oak mingling with the honey sweetness of the barley is sure to please.  Check SKU #254235 at your local LCBO.

Last and most certainly not least, is another release from Edradour.  The 10 Year old distillery edition.  If their other lineups are anything to go upon, this is a real cracker.  This is the smallest distillery in Scotland (check out their website for the quick virtual tour HERE), is still family owned and run.  Producing some excellent scotch in the way it should be produced.  By hand, with no chillfiltration and no colour added.  The distillery edition at only 10 years is a fresh and rich dram, that should be hunted down for a taste.  Almonds and sweet barley sugars take centre stage, with hints of sherry in the background.  An excellent dram, and well worth the investment.  Check your local LCBO for stock #904995 for a bottle  ($79.95).



Well that sums up the massive release for October!  In fact, this post has taken me a week to create off-and-on, due to the size of the release.  I will be off too Whisky Live and hope to see some of you there, and will post about that again soon.  Until the next post, keep your stick on the ice, and ice out of your Whisky.

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.

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