Monthly Archives: May 2012

Mackinlay’s Shackleton Rare Old Highland Malt Review

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Mackinlay’s Shackleton Rare Old Highland MaltBottle Shots 019

47.3% abv

Score:  86/100

 

Trying to give this whisky its fair shake is no mean feat.  Doing so without weaving in the mystique behind its discovery and subsequent re-engineering makes for an unbalanced review.  On the other hand, the historicity itself becomes a major note in this whisky’s profile, again unbalancing the perspective.  So, I must caution…we only do the best we can.  The Shackleton tale begs to be told, and is one to engage even the least ‘whisky-minded’ among us.  Indeed, my wife found the story interesting, and she is as engrossed by whisky as I in learning to scrapbook (ahem…that means ‘not at all’, smartasses).

Having said that, before you settle in expecting yours truly to wax poetic about this whole sweeping affair…think again.  It’s been done.  And by writers far better than I.  I’ll leave you to your homework.

As for the whisky itself?  In simplest terms, this was an attempt to replicate a scotch whisky from the turn of the 20th century, by reverse-engineering and through the skills of Master Blender Richard Patterson’s nose.  How did he fair?  Well…he created a decent blend.  Is it faithful to the original?  Unlikely I will ever know, though many professionals out there argue it’s quite true to the spirit (pun intended).

Having not sampled directly from these precious old bottles, here’s what I came away with…

The nose makes no secret of what is in the glass:  some young malts propped up by at least one older example.  In short…nothing new for a blend.  Where we start to veer from the formula is in the profile itself.  Compared to most of today’s creamy, caramel-rich blends, here we have a raw peaty undercarriage, and billowy smoke; almost like something wet thrown over an open fire.  It is meaty and malty, heavy in full-grain bread notes and raw pecan or walnut.  Once past the less colorful contributors, notes of marmalade and deep fruit start to pipe up a bit.

The delivery is smooth and full, smoky and musky.  The fruits take a while to work their way across the tongue, but in the end do put in a rather restrained outing.  Firm under-ripe pear leading the pack, I think.  Buttery baking with maraschino cherry rounds out the rest of the development in terms of flavor.

Having drunk many older whiskies now (and several replica/recreations), this seems absolutely in line with what I imagine the whiskies of ages ago to have been like.  There is a smoke and farminess that gives these whiskies a more rough and tumble profile than many of us would expect.

Not a bad whisky.  Not a great one either, on its own merit.  However…knowing the story, and understanding the blender’s art (all respect to Mr. Richard Patterson), I can’t help but prop up the points a little in the ‘balance’ category.

The story really does define this one.

(Thanks to Andrew Ferguson at The Kensington Wine Market for providing a sample)

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Isle Of Jura Prophecy Review

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Isle Of Jura Prophecy

46% abv

Score:  88.5/100

 

Here it is.  Finally.  A Jura I can really sink my teeth into.  Prophecy is a small batch release (10,000 bottles, I am led to believe) of ‘profoundly peated’ no-age-statement Jura single malt.  Why do I like this?  Is it because I am a peatophile and this is like chewing a brick of the stuff?  No.  (Well…maybe a little).  Actually…it is simply because it is bloody good stuff.

This is a surprisingly Islay-ish non-Islay malt.  Yass…yass…I know.  Jura is just a wee swim across the sound from Islay.  Hardly world’s away in terms of terroir.  Or is it?  You’d be surprised.  Homework, boys and girls.  Go now.  I’ll wait.

To be completely honest this is really only a note or two off from being something Jim McEwan is rolling off the stills at Bruichladdich.  The Prophecy is the closest you’ll come to Port Charlotte without buying Port Charlotte.

The nose is a bold assortment of aggressive scents.  Creamy peat reek…dirty logs…heavy smoke and tar…hard spice and licorice…a touch of chili chocolate…very dry fruit…salt and citrus…malt and butter.  A wee bit of caramel to buffer the harder edges.  Caramel the flavor, not caramel the color, y’anti-E150a crusaders (another time…another place).

First sips provide the enormous delivery you’d expect from a whisky with an olfactory profile such as I just spoke of.  Heavy smoke and peat on arrival.  The smoke is decidedly meaty and carries a dried fruit compote as counterpart.  Smoked caramel next and on into salt and ash.  This is sassy…young and dirty.  The finish is all smoke and licorice.  Well…perhaps a little sherry-logged oak lingering.

Helluva drink.  Hats off to Mr. Paterson and the lads and lasses at Jura.  Thank you.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Highland Park 18 y.o. Review

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Highland Park 18 y.o.

43% abv

Score:  91.5/100

 

There is a reason this one sits in so many ‘Top 5′ or ‘Top 10′ lists. This is unmistakably Highland Park and uncontestably smooth and sophisticated. If you weren’t a believer based on Highland Park’s younger vintages, I dare you to not be moved by this one. If ever there were a gateway malt, this would be it.

Age in whisky in a contentious subject. And well it should be. Too many years in a ‘live’ cask can easily lead to the oak dominating the whisky. Conversely, the natural mellowing that occurs can round out jagged edges as if the cask were a rock tumbler working a precious stone. There is a fine line here, and this line is the one we expect the distiller to walk.

Though 18 years is much like the bare threshold of maturity in Western thought, it is already approaching old age when it comes to whisky. The finished product becomes much more delicate at this point. Highland Park has time and again flaunted its rich and beautifully aged whiskies in the face of this idiom. The 25 year old is gorgeous. The 30 year old is awe-inspiring.

And the 18? Quite simply one of the best standard expressions on the market. It is unconventional in how its stark simplicity is actually a deep complexity. Spend some time wrapping your head around that one, but do so with a glass of this in hand.

The senses, both nose and taste, are seduced with creamy honey and rich peat smoke, before being led into the depths of this whisky. Dusty, spicy vanilla…mild cigar…rich sweet butter…a bouquet of soft fruit and barely seen floral notes. I even get a tiny hint of dill somewhere. Quirky and unique. The delivery is unbelievably smooth and calculated. Rich wood smoke teases, then mellows out with sweet caramel notes (and yes…this is a good thing).

What I wouldn’t give to have this at cask strength. Stunning and majestic.

         

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Writer’s Tears Cask Strength Review

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Writer’s Tears Cask Strength

53% abv          1200 bottles

Score:  82.5/100

 

This was kind of a fun one to approach.  Sitting down to dinner one eve, a face suddenly appeared at the back window.  I went to the door to find a mate of mine standing in the snow (hey…welcome to Canada, friends) with three glasses in hand.  Not just any glasses, mind, but Glencairns filled with healthy drams.  The first two were a couple he had mentioned passing over.  The third?  Well…his only words were ‘a surprise for you’.  With that, he dashed back across the yard and was gone.  Ahhh…the beauty of having members of the Collective living so close.

I don’t often get to blindly nose/taste a dram with no preconceptions, so this was a treat.  Immediately recognizable as Irish and cask strength (clean and fruity…enormous nose), the rest was actually surprisingly easy to dig into and parse as well.  One of the defining characteristics of triple distillation, which is employed by a majority of Irish distillers, is that the resultant drink is quite pure and crystalline.  It becomes fairly easy to dissect a whisky and suss out its primary flavors.

So, not knowing at the time that I was tackling the cask strength Writer’s Tears, here’s what I came away with…

A nose rich in peach and tangerine.  Very clean and crispy.  Sweet barley sugars, creamy vanilla and white chocolate are prevalent, as is a light dusting of nutmeg or cinnamon.  Sounds like an extremely appealing dram, no?  Sadly, this is all absolutely lambasted by an enormous wallop of banana candy.  So hefty, in fact, I walked away for a bit hoping it would fade a little.  No such luck.

First sips reveal a perfumed and almost artificial profile.  Very concocted.  Not sure how better to express myself here.  I always look for a natural integration of spirit and oak.  It should seem completely harmonious.  As if the two had been waiting for each other.  In this case it almost feels like something disingenuous has taken place.  Like I’m being duped.  It seems a bit like one of those sets where the buildings aren’t real, but merely elaborate facades propped up on stakes.

Over-analytical?  Over-critical?  Perhaps.

The rest of the palate is simply chewy and fruity Irish whisky.  The banana is ever-present, but the oak holds it a little more in check here than on the nose.  The fade carries…yeah…banana.

So…is this banana thing a deal breaker?  For me, absolutely.  But let’s be clear here.  A note that I don’t particularly care for does not mean this is a bad dram.  It certainly does not mean it is flawed either.  It is simply not a profile that sits comfortably with my tastes.  If banana is your thing…this may be right up your alley.

But honestly?  Save your money…there are better Irish whiskies out there.

 

Reviewed by:  Curt

Photo:  Curt

Bruichladdich Redder Still Review

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Bruichladdich Redder Still

50.4% abv

Score:  90.5/100

 

Bruichladdich will forever live in infamy for their bold experimentation with different cask maturation, transfers and finishes.  The use of wine casks, in particular has become somewhat of a hallmark for this downhome Islay distillery.  Much of this can be laid at the feet of master distiller, Jim McEwan, I imagine.  But I can’t help but think that the primary catalyst must be Mark Reynier, the man directly responsible for Bruichladdich’s phoenix act.  Reynier’s background before tackling the ‘Laddie ressurection was in wine.

Some of these innovations have bordered on genius.  Others are more akin to novelty (in the eyes of this humble taster, anyway).  Still others are more like Frankenstein’s monster; the pieces simply don’t fit right.

In the case of Redder Still, fortunately, we have the first.  This is cask play that has resulted in a bloody good dram.

The nose…

Grapes and perfume.  Orange zest.  Creamy swiss chocolate.  There is a beautiful melange of mild baking spices, and possibly the faintest hint of cherry in shortbread.

The palate is as sweet as you’d expect.  Not only sweet, but wine-rich and slightly tannic.  The wood is still singing, but meets some bolder flavors in marzipan and MacIntosh apple.  The finish?  What do you expect?  Imagine ten minutes after a glass of sweet wine.  That and a mouthful of apple.  Lovely and long.

This is wine maturation done right.  Far and away the best of the ‘Still’ series.

…and, man…what a hue on this one!

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt