Talisker 10yo

Some argue that regional categorization of whisky is, at best, misleading. Me, I tend to find that it can be useful in grouping whiskies that have somewhat similar flavor profiles (for example, if someone doesn't like peat, don't recommend an Islay to them), although it doesn't always work out that way. However you feel about them, though, "Island" is a just plain silly way to label a whisky. There are about a half-dozen different islands that produce whisky in Scotland, each with its own distillery. It just seems horribly imprecise to me; however, I've not tasted many of these, so it remains to be seen if I can detect any similarity in their flavors.

Today, we've got the base Scotch offered by the Isle of Skye's distillery, Talisker.

Talisker

Aged 10 years
Single Island (Skye) malt Scotch whisky
45.8% alc/vol
$60

There's lots of sherry on the nose here (glancing around online, I appear to be the only one to think so, but I'm not taking it back!), apples and bananas. Very pleasant and malty. Peat, too, and it blends very nicely with the sherry in a way I don't think I've encountered before. It's very sharp on the tongue, thanks to its relatively high alcohol content, but it's not unpleasantly so. The finish is all wood smoke, with a bit of clove and maybe a hint of chocolate hiding underneath?

It's really quite nice, I must say! A really good mix of sweet, peat, and smoke, if you happen to like those things, which I rather do. :) It's a little on the pricey side, but not too bad...I could easily see myself buying another bottle sometime.

Compass Box Orangerie

Compass Box Orangerie
Blended, infused Scotch whisky
40% alc/vol
$45

I heart Compass Box. They make such neat drinks. Orangerie is exactly what it says on the tin. In fact, the tin goes into further detail: "Orangerie is a whisky infusion made of smooth, sweet Scotch whisky infused with the hand-peeled zest of Navalino oranges and subtle accents of Indonesian cassia bark and Sri Lankan cloves."

It comes as no surprise, then, what this eccentric little experiment of a dram tastes like. The orange hits me like a punch in the mouth, at first...but then I realize that it's actually pretty subtle, and that this John Glaser fellow hasn't ruined the perfectly lovely whiskey at all. It's still scotch, sweet and a bit spicy. Cinnamon? Check. Clove? Check. Like I said, it's right there on the tin.

Orangerie is warming, and leaves with a nice finish - a pleasant after-image of malty, orangey goodness. I suspect the orange makes it more accessible to those who aren't so enamored with whiskey, but I'm not sure how much so. I wouldn't even quite call it a "liqueur," though a cursory Google search reveals that others disagree. It really is just an "infusion"; it's not a cocktail, drowning that bad nasty not-at-all-neutral spirit with sugar and bubbles and fruit juice. And we're all the better for it.

Bruichladdich "PEAT"

So, I've been doing pretty great at this blogging thing, huh? Let's get this show on the road!

Bruichladdich "PEAT"
Single Islay malt Scotch whisky
46% alc/vol
$60

Pronounced brook-lad-dee, according to Wikipedia. New and interesting things. This guy doesn't have an age statement, which, as we know, means it's likely got some young whiskeys in it, which could explain some of the harshness I detect.

A bit harsh and alcoholic, even with a splash of water. Dry and, yes, peaty, but a little...grassy, too? The finish leaves much to be desired, dry and a bit bitter. It's good when a sip of scotch makes you want more, but not when it makes you want more of something else.

Ultimately, it's a nice effort, but I can think of a half-dozen peaty scotches I'd rather drink*. Which is a shame, since given this bottle's name, I'd hoped for something of a peat nirvana.

* Ardbeg 10, Laphroaig 10, Laphroaig Quarter Cask, Bowmore 12, Lagavulin 16, Black Bottle, Johnnie Walker Black Label...make that a baker's half-dozen.

Bowmore 12yo

All right, enough of this "not blogging" nonsense. I resolve to taste more whiskey in 2011! It will be difficult, but I shall endeavor to rise to the occasion.

Bowmore
Aged 12 years
Single Islay malt Scotch whisky
40% alc/vol
$45

I've never heard a bad word spoken about Bowmore's offerings. Some of their older bottlings are highly sought-after, but tonight, we're just looking at their twelve year-old whisky...and it's no slouch.

Peaty, for sure, but it wouldn't be much of an Islay otherwise, would it? Some orange, chocolate, and a bit of a vegetal scent and taste. A bit bitter in the finish, with coffee and more vegetalness...vegetality?

It's an interesting drink, with lots of flavors there. The peat isn't as overpowering as it is in some other Islays, which is a nice change of pace. It's a nice dark amber color, too, which I like for reasons I can't express. I just think it's pretty, I suppose. And the price is pretty good, especially for an Islay.

More notes to come in this new year!

Compass Box Spice Tree

The Spice Tree
Compass Box
Vatted malt Scotch whisky
46% alc/vol
$55

Spoiler: this beverage is exactly what it says on the tin. And that tin - er, box - is rather striking, isn't it?

Cloves and lemon. Cinnamon and a little ginger? Orange peel. Smooth as all get-out. Very nice and, well, spicy.

Compass Box's Hedonism made me a fan of these folks, and the Spice Tree only cements it. I will drink pretty much anything they put in a bottle. Don't test me, Compass Box.

Glenfiddich Distillery Edition

Glenfiddich Distillery Edition
Single Speyside malt Scotch whisky
51% alc/vol
$50

Picked this one up a while back because I love Glenfiddich, I'd never seen it before, and the price was right. Apparently, it's a re-branding of the Glenfiddich 15yo Cask Strength, which I never had.

Heavy on the sherry; vanilla and brown sugar abound. But dilute it with water (generally a good idea; it's cask strength, you realize) there's some trademark Glenfiddich pear lurking underneath. Fruity and warm. A little peppery? Yes. Opens up after a little time in the glass with some spice. A very pleasant drink, and not at all expensive for what it is. I'd put it right up there with the Macallan Cask Strength and the Aberlour a'bunadh.

And with that, I realize I'm about done with heavily-sherried Scotches for a while. I love how they taste, but it can be so hard to get past the sweet syrupiness to get to the unique, interesting bits. And that's the part of tasting that I love the most. I think I'd rather have an interesting Scotch that doesn't particularly appeal to me than a delicious one that's just more sherry sherry sherry.

Who knows...maybe I'm just burned out. I'll probably come around this autumn. Colder months just call for the warming quality sherried whiskey exhibits.

JMR’s The Smooth Sweeter One

Jon, Mark and Robbo's
The Smooth Sweeter One
Vatted malt Scotch whisky
40% alc/vol
$26

The final JMR offering I've had the chance to try. There's still a fourth one out there, somewhere -- The Fresh Fruity One -- but it's either unavailable in the US, or unavailable period.

The Smooth Sweeter One is as advertised, that's for sure. Sweet maltiness and thick honey on the nose, first. Soft marshmallow. It's thin in the mouth, but pleasant. The finish is light, easy -- all part of the smoothness, inviting you to take another sip. Don't be afraid; it won't bite.

When I first tried it, I couldn't believe it was a vatted malt. I get flavors I usually only get from grain whisky, like coconut. I'm quite impressed at how these guys decide what they want, paint a bulls-eye on the target, and then just plain nail it. If you like your scotch sweet, JMR employs truth in advertising; this is your drink.

Too bad you can't hardly find it anywhere...

The Balvenie 17yo Sherry Oak

The Balvenie Sherry Oak  
Aged 17 years
Single Speyside malt Scotch whisky
43% alc/vol
$95

I picked this one up on sale for considerably less than the $95 sticker price, and a bargain it was, too!

“Sherry Oak.”  As if the Balvenie line weren’t sherried enough!  Well, play to your strengths, I suppose…

Maple syrup (in both flavor and texture) and brown sugar.  Vanilla in spades.  Creamy, thick, and smooth.  Warming and comfortable.

Yeah, I know, that’s not much in the way of tasting notes…to be honest, there were no surprises here.  If you’re at all familiar with Balvenie’s work, you’ll know exactly what to expect from a Balvenie called “Sherry Oak.”  And it delivers.  It’s a lovely drink, but I don’t know…heavily sherried Scotches are a dime a dozen, and there are several out there that are cheaper and no less satisfying.

JMR’s The Smokey Peaty One

Jon, Mark and Robbo's
The Smokey Peaty One
Vatted malt Scotch whisky
40% alc/vol
$26

Another dram from JMR, and this one’s just as lovely as The Rich Spicy One was.  Peat, obviously, and although I’m generally not fond of wood smoke in Scotch, the hint of it in this drink is not at all unpleasant.  Very rich and malty, with a bit of pet store.

…pet store??  Some spice and sweetness, nuttiness.  And, no, there it is again: pet store.  Not in a bad way, mind you, but it is certainly interesting!

The Arran Malt 10yo

Finally, another tasting note! This one comes to us from the Isle of Arran, and the only distillery on the island. As far as the region goes, it's technically called an "Island malt," but that isn't very meaningful; the islands are all different, and the whiskies are said to have little in common.

Anyway, let's get to it!

The Arran Malt
Aged 10 years
Single Island malt Scotch whisky
46% alc/vol
$48

This little light golden dram smells wonderful - light and sweet, malt and melon. It's smooth, despite its high-ish ABV, and slighly vegetal, but not overpoweringly so. A bit of water makes it explode with sweetness on the tongue.

This is a delightfully light, airy whiskey - inoffensive in all ways, and very enjoyable. It strikes me as one of the better Scotches I've had, and I'll be sad to see the bottle go!

Johnnie Walker Black Label

Goodness. It's been quite some time since I've posted anything here! I'll blame it on the summer -- despite Dr. Whisky's excellent warm-weather dramming advice, I've been in gin and tonic mode for the past few months. Now that autumn is upon us, let's get back in the swing of things with a very popular bottle that we're all very familiar with.

Johnnie Walker Black Label
Aged 12 years
Blended Scotch whisky
40% alc/vol
$27

I've mentioned before that I was never a big fan of Johnnie Walker. I tried Black Label, and decided I didn't like blends. Then I tried Gold Label, and was unimpressed.

Then my palate developed a little bit, as I branched out and tried different things. I decided to come back to Black Label one more time, and I'm glad I did.

The funny thing is, it's not really all that great. It's got a caramel sweetness to it, in direct opposition to the light smoke and just a hint of peat. It's nice and creamy, and the smoke lingers in your mouth after you drink it. Which is all well and good, but as far as flavor profile goes, Black Bottle does all that better.

So what is it about Black Label that makes it so drinkable? It definitely has some ethereal quality that makes me want to drink more of it once my glass is empty. And no, it's not just the alcohol! Some virtue of the combination of smoke, spice, and sweetness in these exact proportions keeps me coming back, despite the fact that there are many drams that taste better. And I suppose that's a much more desirable quality than mere tastiness.

P.S. I find that this is one of those rare Scotches that do not benefit at all from water. A few drops are okay, but don't dilute it. It just kills all enjoyment of the drink.

JMR's The Rich Spicy One

Jon, Mark and Robbo's
The Rich Spicy One
Vatted malt Scotch whisky
40% alc/vol
$28

No real story here, I'm afraid. I'd heard good things about the Jon, Mark and Robbo's brand. It's a vatted malt -- malts from various distilleries mixed together. I think it's being discontinued, so if this sounds good to you, go buy a bottle!

I have a hard time describing this malt. I'm just going to write whatever springs in my mind, even if it doesn't make sense!

Earthy, deep, and mellow. It smells purple. What does that even mean? Alright, digging down: I taste cinnamon, and cloves. It's very full in the mouth. A little bit of lime, too.

Anyway, seriously, this is one of the most unique Scotches I've ever tried -- it is so different from anything else I've ever tasted. Go try some!

Also, if you've got the whisky strain of the summertime blues, Dr. Whisky has the cure!

Old Pulteney 12yo

Old Pulteney
Aged 12 years
Single Highland malt Scotch whisky
43% alc/vol
$35

I'd heard a lot of good things about Old Pulteney's standard offering - mainly that it's quite good at its price point. It's also the most northerly distillery "on the Scottish mainland," for whatever that's worth. A few months ago, Binny's had a great big whopping sale, so I picked up a bottle (along with a couple of others), and am presently sharing the first glass with all of you.

The color is lovely - just a hint of red in it, showing the influence of the sherry casks some of the whisky is aged in.

The first thing I notice on the nose is citrus, opening up into an ethereal, nutty aroma, and finally a little bit of grass. Very nice.

It's slightly oily, but quite pleasant. Spreads out nicely on the tongue. It finishes dry, salty-sweet.

I can see why so many people like this.

Edit: Pear on the nose, too. How did I miss it?

Glenfiddich 30yo

Glenfiddich
Aged 30 years
Single Speyside malt Scotch whisky
43% alc/vol
$260

I bought this bottle to celebrate a particularly nice bonus I received at work a year or so ago. I was particularly taken with the idea of tasting a whisky that was older than I was -- and, truth be told, I still am. (Only a few months to go before I catch up to it, though.)

It's dark. Tawny. It smells wonderful; it's got that distinctive Glenfiddich pear scent, though there's some banana and sherry in there as well. It goes down very smoothly, with a vanilla finish that leaves me wanting more.

To be perfectly honest, $260 is rather a lot of money for this bottle. It's delicious, but comparable to the 12, 15, and 18 year old whiskies. That said, I'm not sorry I bought it, and I'll thoroughly enjoy the rest of the bottle -- especially since it's still spent more years maturing in the cask than I've spent maturing on this earth. :)

A Smorgasbord of Sumptuous Spirits - WhiskyFest Chicago 2008!

So, Friday night rolled around, and I found myself in the possession of a ticket to WhiskyFest Chicago! A VIP ticket no less; this means I got to enter an hour earlier than mundane ticket holders.

It was a blast. Showed up at 5:30 (an hour before the *sniff* non-VIP riff-raff) at the Grand Ballroom at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. Registered, picked up a canvas tote bag full of swag (pictured), entered the main area, and started tasting! Rough, quick, dirty notes below.

Attended one of the seminars they held – “The Incredible Influence of Wood at Glenfiddich,” with Ian Miller, the Global Brand Ambassador (how do you sign up for that job?) at Glenfiddich. We tasted samples of cask strength first-fill American oak aged malt (light and peary), as well as cask strength first-fill European oak aged malt (dark, syrupy, and sherried), both 12 years old. Then we compared them to a mixture of the two, and to the bottled 12 year old Glenfiddich malt. Then we did the whole thing all over again with 18 year old samples. It was really interesting to see how the different component malts tasted, and how the bottled malt compared to them.

Amusingly, with the 18 year old samples, I thought the American oak aged malt tasted very much of sherry, like the European oak sample of the 12 year old. That didn’t make any sense to me until the woman sitting in front of me asked why the mixed sample looked lighter than both of the component samples. As it turns out, the mixture had gotten switched with the American oak sample – a pouring mix-up. Funny, and also nice to know that I can taste the difference. :)

Anyway, I strongly recommend that you check out WhiskyFest if you get the chance. I had a great time, learned a lot, and got to try a lot of new whiskeys. Well done!

Tasting notes:

Bushmills 1608 – sweet, caramel. Very good. I see that Binny’s carries this now, which is excellent.

Bushmills Malt 21 – fresh, like the Malt 10, but a little sweeter and less harsh. Quite nice.

Oban Distiller’s Edition – bananas. Sweet, malty. Excellent.

Johnnie Walker Swing – sweet, smoky, and tasty.

Johnnie Walker Blue Label – smoother nose than the Swing, but smokier and spicier. Very good, but not $200/bottle good. I’d recommend the Swing over this, for the price.

Antiquary 12yo – a blend, and my first real encounter with peat smoke! It’s faint, but recognizable. Creamy. I like it.

Tomatin 18yo – mint and malt. Smooth, citrusy, and very much a Highland Scotch. Good!

Greenore 8yo – this is a single grain Irish whiskey. It’s been hard to get in the US, but Binny’s has it now! White chocolate and coconut. Very, very good.

Four Roses Small Batch – bourbon. It tasted bourbonny. I’d need to drink more bourbon before I could taste this stuff properly. Good, though.

Four Roses Single Barrel – ditto.

Balvenie 21yo Port Wood – fruit; pears and melon all the way. Delicious!!

Balvenie 17yo Sherry Oak – not much to say except fruity, in that sherry kind of way. Very good, but can’t compete with the 21yo.

Scott’s Selection Auchentoshan 1983 – this is interesting, as my only other Auchentoshan experience is with the 10yo, which is very peanutty. This dram is cask strength, and it was flowery and perfumy, with a strong flavor of broccoli on the finish. I’ve never had anything like it. Not sure if I really liked it, though. :)

Scott’s Selection Glenlivet 1977 – also cask strength. Roses, spice, and vanilla. Good, but by this time my nose and tongue were getting tired, so it seemed unremarkable to me. If I tried it again now, I’d probably enjoy it a lot more.

Laphroaig Quarter Cask – my first Laphroaig, and my first true peated Islay, if you don’t count the Bunnahabhain 12. Heavy peat smoke was about all I got out of it, but I thought it was really quite tasty. Makes me look forward to the bottle of Ardbeg 10 I’ve got sitting at home.

Famous Grouse Malt Whisky 18yo – a vatted malt. This was one of the last I tasted, so I couldn’t get the full taste of it. It struck me as being decent, but nothing to write home about, and not nearly as tasty and the excellent standard Grouse blend.

Laphroaig 10yo – about the same as the Quarter Cask. I should try it again sometime when my nose and tongue are fresh.

Grant's

Grant's Family Reserve
Blended Scotch whisky
40% alc/vol
$13

Grant's Family Reserve is interesting. It's one of those blends that spring to mind when a working-class fellow who's been around the block mentions "Scotch." Cheap, ubiquitous. A man's drink.

But, upon tasting it, I'm once again reminded that none of that means it's not good.

I sat down with this one some time ago and compared it directly, head-to-head, with the Grouse. The two are very similar. The Grant's nose seems slightly sweeter, with an appetizing hint of banana. The taste is sharper, though not unpleasant, and the finish longer.

By my reckoning, the Grouse beats this one out, but not by much. If I were on a budget, however, I'd probably prefer Grant's; at 13 USD for a 750 mL bottle, or somewhere around 20 USD for a 1.75 L bottle, the price is hard to beat.

I'll also note that Grant's has a sherry cask offering, finished in ex-Oloroso casks, for the same price. Sherry freak that I am, it seems right up my alley. So many whiskies, so little time!

(For plenty of interesting information about Grant's Family Reserve, check out Dr. Whisky's write-up!)

Black Bottle

Black Bottle
Blended Scotch whisky
40% alc/vol
$18

So, it's been nearly four months since I blogged about my first Islay whisky, Bunnahabhain. I'd decided it was okay, but nothing stellar, and a definite mood drink. But as I neared the end of the bottle, I found myself enjoying it more and more. I decided to chalk it up to acquiring the taste, or developing my palate, or whatever you want to call it.

In the meantime, I'd been hearing a lot of good things about Black Bottle, albeit often with decidedly unpleasant-sounding descriptions (ashtrays?). Anyway, at a mere $17 USD, the price was right, so I decided to give it a go, and I'm quite glad I did.

Black Bottle's main claim to fame seems to be that it includes malt from every active distillery in the Islay region, save for Kilchoman, the newest.

Notes:

Black Bottle is a deep copper color -- nothing special, but pleasant. Fresh fruit and malt on the nose, with earth, peat, and smoke. Light sea salt and cloves. Sweet and soft on the palate, with a smoky, lingering finish.

I quite like this. The grain whisky helps the peat and smoke from being overpowering, I think, and the result is a very inviting, approachable dram. The bottle's nearly empty now, and I'm sure I'll replace it when it's gone. I'm wondering if this will prove to be something of a "gateway" whisky: my palate's expanding from Speyside/Highland single malts, to Highlandy blended Scotches like Famous Grouse, to Islay blends like Black Bottle. I recently purchased a bottle of Ardbeg 10, which comes highly recommended by those who like that sort of thing; I wonder how I'll like it!

The Macallan Cask Strength

The Macallan Cask Strength
Single Speyside malt Scotch whisky
No age statement (but apparently aged 10-12 years*)
58.6% alc/vol
$60

This is the second Macallan I've reviewed on this blog -- and one of my favorites so far. This one is cask strength, which means it was not diluted with water before being bottled, as most whiskies are. Thus, while most Scotches are 40-46% alc/vol, this big guy weighs in at a hefty 58.6% (116 proof)!

Keep this in mind when drinking cask strength whiskies. The high alcohol content means you should drink it more sparingly than usual, so you don't get sloppy drunk (unless that's your goal, of course!). It also means you should be careful when nosing and tasting it, since it can numb your sense of smell and taste, and inhaling its vapors deeply can be uncomfortable or even painful. If you usually like to dilute your whisky before nosing it, dilute this one a bit more; if you don't usually dilute it, seriously consider doing so for this one.

Oh, and I should also note that this is the USA/Canada bottling, rather than the 10yo cask strength bottling available elsewhere in the world.

Notes:

The Macallan Cask Strength is a lovely brown sherry color. The nose bursts with brown sugar, subsiding into strong vanilla and caramel notes. Bananas Foster and baked apples.

It's very sweet. Creamy, thick, and sharp in the mouth; numbing. Cola. The finish is long, dry, and tingly. Oatmeal scotchies and cinnamon.

This is one of my favorite dessert Scotches. It's sweet, rich, and deeply satisfying. My bottle's almost dry, but I'll definitely pick up another. So should you.

What are you still doing here? The liquor store's still open. Get!

* Michael Jackson's Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch, p. 357.

Gordon & MacPhail Glenlivet 16yo

The Glenlivet
Aged 16 years
Single Speyside malt Scotch whisky
Bottled by Gordon & MacPhail
46% alc/vol
$56

This is the first independent bottling I've reviewed on this blog. "Selected and Bottled Exclusively for Binny's by Joe C," this Glenlivet malt is part of a 306 bottle limited edition.

Notes:

It's a pale gold color, much lighter than perhaps any other malt I've tried. The nose is fruity, with apples and pears, followed by some soft citrus and floral notes. Its body is light and a little on the thin side, but not unpleasantly so. The whisky finishes with more florals, and lingers for a long while.

Despite its rather high ABV, this is one dram that doesn't need water. I prefer to drink it straight, to preserve its delicate flavor; water would likely dilute it too much.

Independent bottlings often offer a rare opportunity to sample a fine Scotch at an age that would otherwise be unavailable. Take, for instance, another Gordon & MacPhail whisky I had a while back, which was a Strathisla 17yo. I believe the Strathisla distillery itself only bottles 12yo whisky; thanks to Gordon & MacPhail, I was able to try it at five years older for less than $100. So don't be afraid -- try an independent bottling. You may like what you find!

Aberlour 16yo Double Cask

Aberlour Double Cask
Aged 16 years
Single Speyside malt Scotch whisky
43% alc/vol
$56

Last week, I reviewed the delightful Aberlour 15yo Sherry Wood Finish, and this week, we'll try her slightly older sister. She's also finished in a sherry cask, but there must be something different in the maturation process, because she's a very different malt than her kid sister...

Notes:

A deep, warm tawny color. She's got a full fruit nose: grapes, cherries, plums, apples, and lemons. She's smooth and creamy in the mouth, with more fruit and a kick of spice. Afterwards, I'm left with some serious cinnamon and nutmeg, and a nice warm feeling in the cockles of my heart. That's right -- in the cockles.

Not quite as light and soothing as her sister, the 16yo is nevertheless a joy to drink. This is a deeply satisfying malt, and an excellent digestif. And now, I shall drop the metaphor of these Aberlour whiskies to women, as it's beginning to sound creepy. After all, they're only teenagers!

And, strangely, there don't seem to be any good pictures of this dram online, which is why you're getting one taken by me of my own bottle. Plus, Aberlour's website doesn't mention it. Is it out of production...? That would be a shame.