Monthly Archives: May 2012

Bruichladdich Golder Still Review

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Bruichladdich Golder Still

51.0% abv

Score:  87/100

 

The oldest in the ‘Still’ series at 23 years, Golder Still is somewhat of a puzzler.  Reaping the benefit of a special period of final maturation in smaller square casks (I know…what?), one would logically expect a whisky older than its years.  Not exactly the case here.  Having said that, what we do end up with is a damn fine malt.  Spectacular?  Never.  Smooth, sweet and satisfying though.  No two ways about it.

Sweet and fruity, like sugar cookies or raw pastry dough.  Notes of nice ol’ bourbon.  Apple turnover and drops of vanilla.  Very mild…entirely pleasant.

The palate…sadly, can’t hold a candle to the nose.  I don’t mean to suggest it is bad, quite the contrary actually, but there’s a wee bit of a disconnect here.  A slight tartness is met with a rather lively oak that should have been tempered by 23 years.  I can only conclude this is the influence of the final ‘square cask’ maturation.  The florals develop midway through…kind of a pleasant surprise…and leave a light and fresh linger.  Quite nice.

This one didn’t have me at hello, but it did make me want to hang around to get to know ‘er.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Amrut Two Continents Review

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Amrut Two Continents

50% abv

Score:  90.5/100

 

Amrut has set the bar so ridiculously high already that I walk into new expressions with unfairly elevated expectations.  It’s a credit to the distillery that their weakest offerings (in my opinion anyway) are still head and shoulders above many other distillery’s best.

Before taking one more step forward, let me clarify.  This is a great whisky.  It is not a weak offering.  I only suggest it may not be as stellar as the Intermediate Sherry, Portonova or Fusion.  If you’ve tried any of those expressions you’ll likely have an understanding as to what caliber we are speaking to.

Two Continents is a bit of a hybrid.  Periods of maturation in both Indian and European climes have given this malt its moniker, but is this a novelty or would the same effect have been achieved if the spirit was simply aged and bottled near the Himalaya?  Who knows.  I suppose we wouldn’t have had such a cool name (and consequently) concept to natter on about.

The whisky itself, regardless, is Amrut through and through.  Bold ribbons of orange zest and shaved milk chocolate.  A hefty shaking of exotic spices.  This has become almost a distillery profile.  Yeasty bread dough.  Perhaps the faintest whiff of peat in there.  Rich vanilla ice cream.  Lingering notes of fresh baking and home-made apple pie.

One thing I want to note here.  People tend to look for rules or generalizations in order to give some structure to their lives and make organizing thoughts easier.  This applies to whisky as well.  Islay whiskies are smoky.  Older is better.  Speysiders are fruity.  Amrut is a prime example of how misleading a generalization can be.  These spectacular malts are mere infants compared to their Scottish cousins.  The temperate Indian climate is a maturation accelerant.  What the distillery is able to turn out is product likely still not even 5 years old, which bears all the hallmarks of a malt 3 or 4 times its age.  Never let a generalization sway your opinion before your senses have had an opportunity to make up their own minds.

Nearly textbook malt from this Indian superstar.  While not my favorite Amrut, still full of sparkle and shine.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Caol Ila 25 y.o. Review

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Caol Ila 25 y.o.

58.4% abv

Score:  91/100

 

A nose to melt your heart and buckle your knees.  A palate to pucker your face and wait…what?  This is like falling asleep in the comfort of your own bed and waking up in a scuzzy brothel.  Both great, but for different reasons.  😉

I simply can’t wrap my thoughts around the unnerving disconnect between nose and palate on this one.  A truly great olfactory experience leads you to a slightly bitter and hoppy ride on the palate.  IPA meets malt whisky.  F*ck me, I’m stumped.

Ok…if you’re as unseated as I was, let me clarify.  This is a really good dram.  Well…quite good anyway.  Peat ages well.  Men bulge and women sag, but peat often mellows with grace.  One need look no further than the adoration heaped in buckets on our beloved Port Ellen (may she rest in peace).  The biting aggression and astringent notes of iodine and tar don’t necessarily shove off, but they do know when to back up a bit and allow some of the fruits to come forth again.

A couple dozen miles from the afore-mentioned Port Ellen we find Caol Ila; one of many thoroughbreds in the stables of Drinkmonster, Diageo.   In terms of pure volume, if not the number of expressions it produces, Caol Ila is Islay’s most prolific distillery.  Even so, official bottlings of Caol Ila with an age statement of anything beyond a dozen years are tough to find in these parts.

When the opportunity arose to cobble together a few OBs* of Caol Ila and assemble the troops for a range tasting, I was nearly salivating at the opportunity to taste this vintage.  Approaching a whisky with expectations this high is almost never a good idea.

The nose is smooth chocolate and vanilla, sweet melons and aged wood.  A bit of cherry, some mild pepper and very distant smoke.  In hindsight, I’m almost willing to go up a point or two based on the nose alone.  I’m a bit of a slow-go’er with whisky (well…until the alcohol sinks its teeth in and winds the gears a little tighter), so the nosing process alone can take quite some time before first sips.  This is a whisky that absolutely demands this dedicated time.

Then we get to the juice splashing across the tastebuds.  Hmm…tart and hoppy.  Not dissimilar to some of the milder India Pale Ales I’ve tried.  This is compounded by the absolutely teeth-smashing arrival (almost 60% at 25 years?!  Bloody hell!).  Skunky and weedy notes are very, very prevalent.  It is highly possible this was magnified by being tasted just behind the rather stunning 18 year old, in all it’s understated glory, but I rather think it is simply the nature of the beast.

Though far from divine, still an excellent malt.

* OB: Original Bottling

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Pat

Alberta Premium 30 y.o. Review

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Alberta Premium 30 y.o.

40% abv

Score:  93/100

 

I did an about face on this one.  Not that I didn’t initially like it,quite the contrary actually, but I was quite certain that the earlier limited release of the 25 year old was better.  Hmmm…not so sure about that one now.  As brilliant as the 25 was, I think this actually pips it.

Rumour has it that in the days following the release of the 25, the remaining old stock was recasked and left to mellow for a few more seasons.  I questioned the decision to shift mature spirit from its familiar ol’ home into casks that would likely be a lot more active.  Would this lead to too much young oak influence?

Nup.  Not a worry.  The result was quite the opposite really.  It was the fruits that were reinvigorated, like a date with a defibrillator.  What we end up with is a little more bottled magic from Alberta Distillers.

Word of the 30 year old’s pending release came to us early on when a few of The Collective were granted the opportunity to spend a few hours at the distillery.  We were asked to keep hush hush, and of course had to respect that.  Tough one though.  Following on the heels of the stellar 25, expectations were high.  Zipping the lip was a formidable obligation.

The wait was well worth it however.  Here we have the oldest 100% rye whisky I know of, and what a treat it is.

The nose manages to impress as both older and younger than the 25.  How is that possible?  Cherry and orange, maybe a whiff of ruby grapefruit are second only to the pine-fresh woodiness.  Familiar smells of a dunnage warehouse.  There are faint char notes, almost as in a recharred cask.  Pleasant…adding a degree of sophistication and hinting at the depth here.  The characteristic spice notes found in rye are warm and familiar.  Vanilla pod and clove right up front and something quite unique here as well:  there is a pancake syrup (treacle for my friends o’erseas) we buy occasionally that is cinnamon flavored.  The mix of butter, cinnamon and maple syrup is niftily captured here.  Great nose.

The palate…mature, smoky, waxy and oaky.  In essence…tasting of all those charming subtleties that only develop through the patience of letting a cask mellow in the warehouse.  A smidge of tart citrus.  And again…back to the rich cloves.  The fade is oak and grapefruit.

Man, this is a great distillery.  I only wish they had the confidence to try a little experimentation.  With a spirit this good, I can only imagine the possibilities, and dare to dream of the heights they could reach.  Imagine…this in a refill sherry butt?  At cask strength?

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Alberta Premium 25 y.o. Review

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Alberta Premium 25 y.o.

40% abv

Score:  92.5

 

There’s a hometown pride goin’ on here right now. I’ve been won over and have fallen in love again. Sort of a backdoor romance, you could say. The good news though…is that my wife knows about it.

Alberta Premium is produced right here in Calgary, and is doubtless the finest Canadian Whisky I have ever tried. Their no age statement flagship expression is a mindblowingly sexy dram, showing maturity well beyond its years (the number of which, of course, a gentlemen would never mention). So the question that logically follows is ‘how does this stack up after a few more years in wood’?

Well…through a newly-forged (though hopefully long-enduring) friendship, I was gifted a bottle of this sadly long-gone whisky. I can, without any hesitation, state on record that 25 years in oak takes this from a sterling rye whisky to something utterly beyond compare.

The nose here has all of the same notes that makes the standard bottling exceptional, but…try this…imagine a lone violin playing in a moonlit amphitheater. Now imagine that lone violin is joined by multitudes more playing the same note in ascending octaves of the most heavenly harmony until your eardrums burst in pure ecstasy. That good? Absolutely. Gorgeous sweet rye…creamy vanilla and hazy light fruits…silky smooth chocolate. At 25 years I should be worried about oak influence. Alas…nada. The woods here are absolutely distant and tastefully restrained.

The palate is alive and vibrant with all the afore-mentioned depth and creamy toffee notes to boot. The arrival is delicate and unpretentious, but develops smoothly into an unbelievably elegant and sensual mouthful. There are distant (very distant) echoes of bourbon in there somewhere as well…though they sort of dance around the tongue a little. The finish is much lengthier than the staple expression, and man…are those lingering flavors lovely. I concur with the opinion that leaving the oils in (ie. no chill-filtration) would have allowed these beautiful flavors to soar even higher. As it is though…dear gawd…my wife should be jealous.

Hard to find flaws here.  A well-deserved mark.

One final note…I mentioned in my review of the standard bottle that I was hoping to try this 25 year old. Well…you fine folk made it happen, So I will tempt fate once more by begging that anyone who finds this in the shops either nabs me a bottle (at my expense of course) or tells me where to find it. I’ll be sure to share a dram.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Highland Park 30 y.o. Review

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Highland Park 30 y.o.Bottle Shots 2 012

48.1% abv

Score:  93/100

 

Here it is.  The apex of the Highland Park line.  In my eyes, anyway.  The years have been infinitely kind here, as this maturity wears well.  Heads and tails better than the 25 year old and also a few notches higher than the 40 year old.  Sadly…to date…the 50 year old has yet to make its way to my glass.  I cling to hope though.  What else is there?

All that Highland Park promises in its younger bottlings is brought to full glorious realization here.  The defining notes of smoke and heather and honey are in perfect harmony now (though some insist this is the case in the 18 year old variant as well).  There is the vaguest notion of peat, subtle fruit cake nuances, mild eucalyptus and dried spiced apple.  Said spices being perhaps nutmeg and cardamom.

The delivery is rich in eddies of smoke and infused dried fruit.  It blooms on the tongue in layers of spice.  Warming … coating … and slightly anesthetizing.  The finish remains fruity and vibrant.

A few years down the line the 40 year old expression sits beneath an old elm tree waiting for you to make your way down the path.  Though the journey is well worth the while, for some the destination may not be.  Though a great malt in its own right, the 40 year old simply cannot top this one.

This, however…this is a damn fine spirit.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

GlenDronach 1972 (KWM Exclusive) Review

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GlenDronach 1972 (KWM Exclusive)

Cask 711  Kensington Wine Market Exclusive

Oloroso Sherry Butt

49.8% abv

 Score:  94/100

 

In 1972 Canada was fighting for their lives against the Russians…in hockey.  Scotland was…well…not kicking at each other in skates, but busily producing some of the finest spirit the world has ever seen.  As a Canadian AND a Scotch lover I’m not sure who comes out ahead here.  Let’s call it a draw.

Many moons and thirty-nine years after the ’72 Summit Series (and the filling of a certain cask at the GlenDronach distillery in Speyside) a ragged crew of Canadians hopped the pond for Scotchland, touring distilleries and swilling spirit.  In their wake they left nothing but stumbling footprints, empty bottles and a bunch of poor shell-shocked Scots shaking their heads and sweeping up the mess.

Though the leader of this motley collection, Andrew Ferguson, was a relatively fine upstanding young man, there was also a devil in their midst.  It should come as no surprise that the devil would have an agenda, and let’s face it…against the devil, only the purest stand a chance.  Having tipped more than one glass with Mr. Ferguson, I can attest to him being upstanding, but let me also add…I think his halo may be a little tarnished.  Against this monster…he hadn’t a hope in hell.

This devil has been known by many names.  Here on ATW he is called Maltmonster.

Fortunately for us, while the Maltmonster is a master of subtlety when it comes to writing and sarcasm (indeed his pieces for ATW are so woven through with hidden references and no-name name-dropping that a lifetime of lifetimes couldn’t untangle ‘em all), his subtle touch goes by the wayside when he finds a whisky worth seeing the light of day.  This leads us back to the tale at hand…

Upon first tasting cask 711 in the warehouses at GlenDronach, the Monster realized that his heart would now forevermore be divided.  His dear, sweet wife holding one half…and a stunning 39 year old with a full body and great strength of character with the other.  In order to have both of his true loves, he began to work his dark magic on Mr. Ferguson.

Fear not.  This tale has a happy ending.

Much to the benefit of whisky lovers all over the Canadian West coast, the Maltmonster and his cohorts managed to convince Andrew (or maybe Andrew convinced himself?) that a cask of 39 year old single malt could be a viable financial investment for the Kensington Wine Market.  Hence…KWM’s latest single cask exclusive bottling.

Though I don’t adore this one with the fierce dedication that MM and AF do, I admit that I do love it.  It was mentioned that perhaps it was a little long in the tooth (my words, not theirs) and I tend to agree, but it is by no means too far over.  A few years younger would have allowed the fruits to shine a little more brightly still.

The change from first pour to first sip is incredible.  Allow it plenty of time to open and unfold.  It really is quite brilliant.  The nose is rich in spice and exotic fruit.  Orange and purple grape.  Chocolate and dark roast coffee beans.  There is a mature oaky note that carries a whiff of latex paint (not unpleasant).  Over all of it there is a lingering scent of freshly baked cinnamon twists.

Huge tropical fruit delivery on first sips.  Big, bold and mouthcoating.  Chocolate, candlewax and oak all over this one.  Big oak.

Great cask selection, guys.  I must get my own bottle before this disappears.  A deal with the devil perhaps?

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Pat

Kilchoman 100% Islay Inaugural Review

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Kilchoman 100% Islay Inaugural

50% abv

Score:  74/100

 

Ok, what the hell happened here?  I understand the necessity of a unique marketing spin, and I also understand the importance of flying the flag of 100% Islay (if for nothing other than fiercely independent pride and a well-deserved triumphant ‘We are Ileach…and this is ours!’), but honestly…this expression should not have seen a bottle yet.

Perhaps another half dozen or so years would have kicked that snotty new-make swagger to the curb, and allowed a more sensible maturity to take the reins.  Put simply…this young Kilchoman actually tastes YOUNGER than it should.  If tasted blind I would not at all have been surprised to hear this was only a year or so old.

The nose is spirity and grainy, and absolutely redolent of new-make (or ‘white dog’, for those more used to the North American nomenclature).  It is waxy, somewhat plastic and carries the typical artificial cherry stamp of whisky just off the stills.  It is smoky…but not overpoweringly so, especially if one considers that at last reckoning Kilchoman was peating to Ardbeg specs.

The palate is hot and untamed. The barley is sharp enough to cut and the peat is aggressive.  Sweet notes are nowhere to found, and the whisky actually seems salted.

Sadly, though I love this distillery, I don’t even remotely like this whisky.  Without question, the least enjoyable Kilchoman I’ve experienced to date.  (Sigh…it hurts me to say this).

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Pat

Kilchoman Cask #322 (KWM Exclusive) Review

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Kilchoman Cask #322 (KWM Exclusive)

60% abv

Score:  88.5/100

 

Calgary’s Kensington Wine Market is on their second exclusive cask of Kilchoman now.  With absolutely no problems selling out their first release, purchasing a second, especially a sherried version, was a no-brainer for KWM’s whisky guru, Andrew Ferguson.

Sherry and peat.  Sometimes magic.  Other times an abomination the likes of which only a Dr. Moreau could love.  Here, fortunately, we have the former, where the sweet sherry notes bring a balance to the smoke and ash to create a beautiful beast.  I call it a beast only because there is simply no debating the aggressive snarl this one packs.  Perfectly acceptable youthful exuberance.

The nose is great.  Dried fruit, burnt caramel, butter tarts and BBQ sauce.  Mildest hints of new carpet as well.  May seem like an odd mishmash, but it truly is enjoyable…and not a little sassy.  The strength of the nose alone was enough to make me like this one.

The palate is buttery and sweet, but smoky as hell.  Mouthcoating and lingering.  There is a lovely sweet and smoky toasted oak note that hangs about as it fades.  Though not so much on the nose, the palate here reminds me of an uber-young Uigeadail.

Nice cask selection here.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Pat

Kilchoman Autumn 2009 Review

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Kilchoman Autumn 2009

46% abv

 Score:  86.5/100

 

A much fruitier and creamier offering from Kilchoman in this, their second release.  Here we have most of what made the Inaugural release such a success (and started the collectors a-scramblin’), but slightly held in check with a greater emphasis on pillowy crème caramel, vanilla and soft pear.  Smoke is big and billowy, as to be expected, but there is a refreshing note of spearmint threaded throughout.

The palate is surprising in its perceived maturity.  I know this is bottled at a mere three years, but I’d give credit for a couple more if I didn’t know better.  Again…in slight contrast (doubt it has to do with any more maturation, as this is only a few months down the road from the previous iteration…more likely simple cask variance) to the Inaugural we find a less rambunctious offering here.  A little heavier in soft white fruits and oaky vanilla.  Hints of fish oil as well.  The finish carries heat (c’mon…we talk about maturity here, but let’s face it…this is only 3) and smoke and tart fruit skin through its inevitable finale.  Vaguest hints of green apple jolly ranchers as it fades.

This second outing pales just slightly when held against their showstopper of a debut, but nevertheless is a truly winning whisky.  I’ve said it many times…when this gets a bit older…look out.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Pat