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!

Canadian Club Classic 12yo

Once again, the months just slip by while I fail to blog. Oh well. Here's one I finished the last little glass of last night.

Canadian Club Classic

Aged 12 years

Canadian whisky

40% alc/vol

$20

Man, I don't know about this Canadian whisky thing. I like the stuff, but I think I haven't had enough of it to taste it properly. I'm getting a lot of what I got with the Forty Creek Barrel Select last time: caramel, sherry...hmm, hold on. Not much spice, unlike the Forty Creek...more on the sweet. Toffee, vanilla, honey... Lots of alcohol, though. Needs a lot of water to really bring the flavors out. A hint of ginger.

Overall, a very pleasant drink, although I prefer the Forty Creek Barrel Select to it.

Merry Christmas, or whatever yuletide holiday you may happen to celebrate!

Forty Creek Barrel Select

Wow. It has been a while, hasn't it? Let's not waste any time then!

Forty Creek Barrel Select
Canadian whisky
40% alc/vol
$22

That's right, sports Scotch fans! Tonight's drop comes from north of the border, eh! This one has won several awards, so I thought I'd give it a try.

Canadian whisky's interesting: single malt Scotch whisky is made from malted barley, while blended Scotch is made from both barley and other grains like wheat or rye. Canadian whisky, however, is made largely from rye, along with barley and even some corn. It's definitely got a distinct flavor.

It's sweet. Heavy on the butterscotch. Sherry. The texture is very slightly creamy, but all full in the mouth. Great feel to it. A little spicy, too, like honey and ginger. It's super-smooth, with no water required.

A very enjoyable experience, this first foray into the world of Canadian whisky. They do know what they're doing! And it's not even expensive. Crazy.

Laphroaig Quarter Cask

Laphroaig Quarter Cask
Single Islay malt Scotch whisky
48% alc/vol
$54

I first tried this scotch at WhiskyFest Chicago last year. I liked it, but it was toward the end of the night, and my tongue, she was tired. So I picked up a full bottle of it so I could judge it a bit more critically (well, as much as I ever judge whiskeys critically).

Peat. Hits me full in the face, from nose to finish. Very smoky. It's quite nice, really, when I'm in the mood for it, and not so much when I'm not. There's a sweetness to it, too — coconut, maybe? It's nice and creamy and smooth, and, at the moment, a joy to drink. Spicy and dry on the finish.

This is good stuff, but a bit expensive to keep in stock regularly. I'd be more inclined to go to Black Bottle or JW Black Label for my peat kick, although I could see myself going back to the Quarter Cask when those two just aren't enough.

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!